Comments on: Swedish town all buys volvos on the same day...coincidence?

Swedish town all buys volvos on the same day...coincidence?

filmgeek — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 16:05:41 -0800

Swedish town all buys volvos on the same day...coincidence?

This car was bought by the same town on the same day. Watch the cool (but large) flash video documentary. Or download it here: Quicktime or Windows Media.

Is it collective unconscious? Yeah, I know, I'm buying into the merchandising wagon. But it's an interesting documentary -- if it's true.

By: skallas

skallas — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 16:19:26 -0800

Coincidences are support to happen x amount of times statistically speaking. To point one out and say "holy crap" is to miss the big picture or miss a more obvious/realistic explanation.

By: Hogshead

Hogshead — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 16:25:35 -0800

It's not true. Volvo has admitted it's not true. There was some nonsense about "engaging the viewer on a different level" but bollocks is bollocks, and it's bollocks.

By: crazy finger

crazy finger — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 16:26:57 -0800

Ford is ruining Volvo. I own an 82 242 DL and I love it. I don't think I'd buy Ford's new Volvo cars though. I'll stick to the real deal.

By: kaemaril

kaemaril — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 17:04:35 -0800

Dude, it's a freakin' advert! It shows up on UK screens at least two or three times a night, and it has for some time ...

By: dakotadusk

dakotadusk — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 17:21:45 -0800

Right now, P.T. Barnum is laughing at you from Huckster Heaven.™

By: SpaceBass

SpaceBass — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 17:48:24 -0800

''The Mystery of Dalaro'' - Volvo Documentary - Fiction! The cleverest advertising campaign ever?

By: SPrintF

SPrintF — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 17:48:56 -0800

What they failed to mention in the documentary is that all the buyers were later found chained to Coffin Rock with "grotesque and disturbing symbols" carved into their bodies. Coincidence? Advertising? Or has Something entered our world from Outside?

By: pmurray63

pmurray63 — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 20:08:03 -0800

VolvoFilter

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 21:02:28 -0800

Paging widdershins ... As a 50% Swede, I have to admit the only reason I found this extended joke bearable was gawking at the Swedish town. And the Swedish babes. (Now, if this had been presented complete with the "Carlos Soto" meta-controversy, it might have lasted a bit longer. As it is, it's an excellent example of why the word meme is so short.)

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 23:27:40 -0800

Speaking of ford subsidiaries, the new GT rocks hardcore.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 00:34:32 -0800

I was asked to accept a cookie from http://www.fordvehicles.com when this thread loaded. That sucks pretty severely, if it was intentional.

By: quarsan

quarsan — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 01:01:48 -0800

yup, i got a cookie too.

By: Katemonkey

Katemonkey — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 01:57:54 -0800

Don't the ads have huge "This is an advertisement" plastered all over it like they do here in the UK? Or maybe it just seems huge because I keep seeing the damn ad in the movie theater...

By: bifter

bifter — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 02:08:56 -0800

Yay! A friend and ex-colleague is in the ad. He's one of the 0.000001% of people that work in Stockholm, but live more than 25 minutes commute away (in that particular town, out in the archipelago). They randomly knocked on his door (and those of other residents) and offered them money to be in the ad I am told. No Volvo purchase necessary.

By: bwerdmuller

bwerdmuller — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 03:01:23 -0800

Christ. Ford own Volvo now? When did this happen? I so wanted one, too :(

By: bifter

bifter — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 03:04:39 -0800

You can still get a Volvo Truck. Ford don't own them, confusingly...

By: dabitch

dabitch — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 04:17:04 -0800

I'll join in the "nope, it's not true". Actually it' a Spike Jonze film, and Carlos Soto does not exist. See a spoof within a spoof [self link], they admitted it the day they launched the campaign (13th of feb)

By: dabitch

dabitch — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 04:23:31 -0800

anyone with a little knowledge of Sweden would know the ad isn't "real" as they talk about the trouble with Reindeers on the road. You won't see a group of Reindeers as far down south as Stockholm (and Dalarö) is. It made me laugh out loud.

By: Kip

Kip — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 04:24:17 -0800

You got asked for a cookie from fordvehicles.com because delmoi included a graphic from their website.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 04:56:13 -0800

You got asked for a cookie from fordvehicles.com because delmoi included a graphic from their website. No shit, my friend sherlock. What I was objecting to was that I got one while reading Metafilter.

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 09:54:07 -0800

i thought it was terrible, and then i saw it was Spike Jonze. then i thought it was terrible and terribly depressing. even worse than those BMW "movies."

By: dabitch

dabitch — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 10:43:20 -0800

the spike-thing, was your reaction "it's a little bit like using a sledgehammer to nail in a tack"? That was mine anyway, it surprised me that he had done it.

By: wibbler

wibbler — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 15:51:10 -0800

And just look at that. The Google Ads at the side confirm the marketing ploy's genius. We're just a short click away from a new Volvo... ;-)