Volvo, with help from agency Baldwin& has launched an influencer campaign to promote a new truck that will be officially unveiled later this month. The influencer campaign, dubbed #WhatTheTruck, serves as a “teaser” to a full 360 campaign that will kick in once the truck — the latest line of sustainable long-haul Volvo VNLs — is formally unveiled on Jan. 23.  

The influencer campaign revolves around a version of the truck — stripped of all of its Volvo branding, wrapped in a striped design and parked at a heavily trafficked truck stop for truck drivers to marvel at. There are some improv actors on the scene who help the real truckers get excited about the “secret” truck. The only visible branding on it is the #WhatTheTruck hashtag.  

Hidden cameras and microphones capture reactions that the agency is compiling for videos like this one.   

According to the agency, part of the inspiration for the pre-launch influencer effort was that Volvo had already been testing its new and “top secret” truck on highways and attracting social media attention among trucking groups. A truck-stop stunt seemed like a logical next step.   

Trucking influencer Alex Nino has been enlisted for the campaign and has posted the teaser video, telling his 2.3 million TikTok followers to tune-in on January 23 for the official unveiling.  Volvo will also be using the #WhatTheTruck teaser film as part of a broader social media push in advance of the big reveal. It will activate across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Reddit and YouTube.  

Will Bender, Digital Marketing Manager at Volvo Trucks North America, said the company is pleased with the buzz that Baldwin&’s truck stunt has generated.   

“They treated the trucks like the technological works of art they are,” said Bender, adding the campaign seems to be reaching the right audience: “the truck drivers of tomorrow. Research shows they’re younger, more diverse, and expect technology to help them lead the way towards a sustainable future.”