You have to look long and hard for the car industry's classic panorama shots and usual technology talk in Volvo Car Denmark's new campaign. Instead, it is about mental well-being, presence, and safety. Forte Advice is behind it.
Volvo ambassador, journalist, and author Thomas Skov plays the leading role in the new Volvo Car Denmark film. Photo: Scene from the film
Can a car brand notoriously known for safety contribute with relevance in a societal conversation about pace, noise, and mental well-being – without talking about cars, technology, or product features?
The answer to the question, which Volvo Cars Denmark and the agency Forte Advice worked their way towards, was a clear 'yes'.
So in a new communication effort from Volvo, the car as a product has been driven into the garage and the focus in the messages is directed towards calmness, mental well-being, and presence as an extension of the concept of safety.
This includes having Volvo ambassador, journalist, and author Thomas Skov as the leading figure in the campaign film itself.
Forte Advice writes this in an email to Markedsføring.
Rikke Aagaard Petersen, who is Head of Marketing & Communications at Volvo Car Denmark, writes in the email that the communication is built on the fact that the concept of safety has been expanded:
It is not the cars that take up space in Volvo Car Denmark's new communication. Photo: PR
”Volvo has always been a leader in car safety – right from the development of the three-point seat belt back in 1959. But the concept of safety has continuously been expanded, and today it is about more than seat belts and airbags,” she states and adds:
”We are not only interested in the car, but in the people inside and outside the car. Both in the physical space, but also to a great extent in the mental space. That was what we wanted to focus on.”
”A natural sender”
The starting point for the campaign is a new population survey, the EKKO survey, which examines how noise, technology, and racing thoughts affect Danes' ability to be mentally present – also in traffic.
The idea for the survey, Forte Advice states in the email, was born out of the work that Volvo's own behavioral experts do.
Work aimed at minimizing noise and visual distractions in the cars – because it is also crucial for road safety.
”We did thorough work with the Volvo team to find out how they, in their communication in Denmark, could contribute with perspectives on calmness and mental presence,” says Christian Bendixen, Head of PR at Forte Advice, and adds:
”At the same time, Volvo could emphasize why this is relevant in a safety context and thereby be a natural sender.”
The EKKO survey shows:
44% of Danes experience racing thoughts or worries daily or weekly, and 40% of them have difficulty finding peace
70% of those who experience racing thoughts and worries daily or weekly experience difficulty finding peace, and 64% experience having a harder time concentrating and that it affects their sleep
61% believe they check their phone too often
49% would like to spend less time in front of the screen
6 out of 10 experience that other people's phone usage disrupts being together ”once in a while”
27% almost always have something in their ears when they are alone in public spaces
46% experience the car as a sanctuary, 67% use it as a thinking break
59% find peace at home, 46% seek it in nature, 47% find peace in front of the phone, computer, or TV, and 42% find it by being alone.
The survey was conducted among 1,536 Danes (+18 years) representative of gender, age, education, and geography. Data was collected in Norstat A/S’ panels via a questionnaire survey from 3/10-2025 to 12/10-2025 inclusive. The EKKO survey was developed by Forte Advice.
The complete EKKO survey can be seen here.
In other words, with the EKKO survey, Volvo has, according to the email, ”a documented basis for communicating about a topic that lies as a natural extension of the brand's historical focus on safety”.
”Agenda-based communication has never been more relevant”
At Forte Advice, the collaboration with Volvo is seen as ”a strong example of a company that dares to step into the background with its product and instead focus on an agenda”.
”Volvo is moving in its efforts from product communication to more agenda-based communication. It may seem simple, but it takes courage to allocate funds from the marketing budget to communicate something other than one's product, and it requires a belief that socially relevant branding can actually make a difference in the long run – also commercially,” writes Christian Bendixen and adds:
”Agenda-based communication has never been more relevant and will become even more relevant in the future.”
For Volvo, the goal of the effort is to build a position in the long run where Volvo contributes with broader perspectives on safety, such as calmness and mental presence – also when the car is parked in the garage.
”Our task has been to creatively translate this into communication that can capture our target groups – and without contributing to more noise, which has been a positive challenge in the development,” states Rikke Aagaard Petersen.
The parties do not disclose the budget for the campaign, but according to the email, it is rolling out in, among other things, classic media in collaboration with Volvo ambassador Thomas Skov, through an organic PR effort, OOH, social media, cinema, and TV commercials.
The article was published on 16/01-2026 in Dansk Markedsføring, written by Susanne Ingemann Terney: https://markedsforing.dk/artikler/nyheder/volvo-vil-tale-om-ro-og-mental-tilstedevaerelse-i-ny-kampagne/
