• by Tanya Gazdik , June 14, 2023

Volvo Cars is launching a compact EV SUV designed to have the smallest carbon footprint of any Volvo to date. 

With a “Small is Mighty” philosophy, Volvo partnered with AKQA to design a global launch for the EX30 showcasing the outsized impact of the car. 

The launch opens with Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan introducing the new SUV in a whimsical play on the unboxing trend, which gained popularity during the pandemic when consumers were starved for content. 

A mini, regular and giant Jim Rowan playfully highlight the key features of the EX30 in equally proportioned models of the car.

Before premiering live to the world on YouTube, the film was teased across social, and through physical boxed-miniatures sent to select influencers to unbox live on launch day.

The space for the reveal event designed by AKQA in partnership with Universal Design Studio features the EX30 surrounded by an oversized Willy Wonka-like world, with giant steering wheels and car seats floating in a vast exhibition space, making the visitor feel like they’ve been shrunk. 

Four immersive rooms bring visitors closer to the interiors -- tactile, natural and reused materials -- to highlight the sustainability focus of the car alongside dozens of small yet mighty innovations.

The playful narrative will continue with the global launch campaign for the EX30 produced together with The Mill. 

It follows a group of friends as they escape the city for the countryside, with the EX30 navigating through urban challenges, dipping in and out of real life and macro and mighty landscapes made from the materials of the car.

The Volvo EX30 is available to order now in selected markets starting at $34,950 MSRP in the United States. Consumers can opt for outright ownership, leasing or subscription.

“The fully electric EX30 might be our smallest ever SUV, but it’s a big deal for our customers and a big deal for us as a company,” Rowan says in a release. "We like to say the EX30 is small yet mighty, because it delivers on everything you’d want from a Volvo but in a smaller package. Like any Volvo, it’s an outstanding product which is safe and designed around people and their needs.”