Volvo’s X-factor

Last week I fortunately stumbled across a great little film that really took me by surprise especially seeing as it was a car ad, for Volvo none the less.

This highly original brain teasing commercial (an oxymoron if there ever was one), was created in 2004 by none other than twice Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears (who is amongst other things responsible for The Queen, Dirty Pretty Things, High Fidelity and Dangerous Liaisons). This unique short movie was only released on the Internet to launch the ad campaign for Volvo’s V50. The car of course is the star of the story but alas is being overshadowed by the brilliant, versatile and ever so yummy Robert Downey Jr. Together they shine in a short film that “starts in a place called Doubt and ends in a place called Confidence" and thus attempts to stimulate an audience that has reached a point in their lives where they have to decide to head down a new and exciting road with the Volvo V50 or stay in the rut of reality.

Due to Frears’ uncanny talent, he was able to turn a commercial into a true work of art. The Route V50 is a slick, surreal and low key treasure that reinforces one’s faith in advertising (at least if you had some and might have lost it). Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik_5ns8RF1g

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ty3FEJ4HWk&mode=related&search