Volvo outclasses Jaguar with a viral ad that splits viewers

Volvo challenges Jaguar with an ad that moves people... and divides them

Can a car brand sell safety without slipping into proge melodrama? Volvo has tried with a 10-minute spot that has gone viral and that some are already calling a slap in the face to Jaguar, whose latest campaign has been met with widespread criticism. The ad shows a daughter's life from birth until she leaves home, with an ending that includes her Black boyfriend. That detail alone has been enough to turn the ad into an ideological battleground.

On one side, defenders see it as a return to the family values and safety that have always defined Volvo. "It's about protecting the family", they say. The Swedish brand, now owned by China's Geely group, knows its typical customer is a parent who puts safety above everything. That's why the spot doesn't show the car until the end, instead building an emotional story. "Straight to the target audience", they claim.

The elephant in the room: the Black boyfriend

For others, that very ending spoils what could have been a flawless ad. "If the boyfriend hadn't been Black it would have been perfect" is a recurring complaint. Some see it as an ideological imposition, a concession to proge discourse that ends up alienating part of the audience. The claim that brands can no longer make ads with "normal" white families resonates among critics, who point to other companies like Gillette or Disney as examples of a similar drift.

However, there are also those who interpret it as a reflection of a demographic reality that is already irreversible. "We should come to accept them as some of our own in the future", says a current of opinion that prefers not to make the racial detail a problem.

Jaguar in the crosshairs

The contrast with Jaguar is inevitable. The British brand, also in the midst of a transformation, has launched a campaign many describe as a "clown show" that seems designed to please only a noisy minority. While Volvo appeals to family and safety, Jaguar opts for an outlandish spectacle that, according to critics, alienates its traditional customers. "Volvo's ad tries to make you cry, Jaguar's succeeds — but for the wrong reasons", they joke.

In the end, what the debate reveals is the crossroads the automotive industry finds itself at. Between moving or informing, between tradition and diversity, brands are searching for their place. But, as one comment points out, "if they need help, they should ask for it". The audience, at least, has already started voting with clicks.