This tongue-in-cheek regional Blue Cross Blue Shield spot introduces us to a young man who aspires to ride West and become a Pony Express rider. He needs two things, though–one he gets from his mom, a Blue Cross Blue Shield healthcare card; the other he will have to develop–a better sense of direction.
Wally Pfister of RESET Content directed and shot “Express” for agency HY Connect. Grant Gustafson of Cutters edited the spot.
Credits
Client Blue Cross Blue Shield (regional covering 10 states) Agency HY Connect Kevin Houlihan, EVP, creative and production; Michael Matykiewicz, Colin Quinn, VPs/creative directors; Nathen Grigsby, producer. Production RESET Content Wally Pfister, director/DP; Jeff McDougall, exec producer. Telecine Company 3 Tyler Roth, colorist. Editorial Cutters Grant Gustafson, editor; Billy Montross, assistant editor; Craig Duncan, exec producer; Heather Richardson, producer. VFX/Finishing The Mill Jamie Beckwith, 2D lead artist; Theo Maniatis, Mike Sarabia, 2D artists; Jeff Boddy, Anzie Lee, Josh Van Praag, motion graphics; Andrew Sommerville, exec producer; Mike Pulian, producer. Music HUM Audio Post Chicago Recording Company Eric Cauwels, mixer.
For the global EX30 Cross Country launch, Volvo and creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors wants to de-dramatize the outdoor experience--and remind people that small trips into nature can be grand experiences.
Cross Country is Volvo’s concept of turning their regular cars into more outdoor-capable versions, with higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and other features making it more capable and off-road ready. And now, the compact, fully electric EX30 becomes available as a Cross Country version. It’s a small car designed for big experiences, made to elevate both urban living and outdoor adventure, and to bring people closer to nature.
“With Volvo being such a human-centric brand, it felt natural to focus on the human side of nature. The child’s perspective became the perfect metaphor for this, to spend time in nature on nature’s terms,” said Karl Risenfors, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors.
In a category that often portrays epic journeys deep into the wilderness, the campaign serves as a reminder that even everyday adventures can be memorable experiences. Thus this launch spot--directed by Marcus Ibanez via production company New-Land--shows nature through the point of view of a child. A child’s imagination and perspective generates a visual metaphor for the magic that nature can bring, no matter the scale of the adventure.