Volvo Wants You To See Its "Naughty" Side

Ever since BMW scored a big hit with its online series of short films a few years ago, automakers have been trying to figure out how to reprise BMW’s success. Now, at the Geneva Auto Show this week, Volvo has unveiled an online-only campaign called “The Naughty Volvo” to promote its new S60 sedan coming to the US this year.

Volvo’s online episodes aren’t that kind of naughty. But for a brand whose DNA has always been about safety and staidness, even after a radical styling overhaul several years ago, these three web films are naughty indeed.

They’re test-track performance-and-handling demonstrations of the S60, allowing viewers to use a virtual dial to go from a tame-and-traditional test to one where the car is swerving around a goldfish bowl placed on a slalom cone to the third level of “naughtiness,” which shows an S60 driving backward.

Then fans can submit their ideas for as “Level Four” driving experience that Volvo could produce into another web film.

“The campaign objective is to spark conversation about the new model among driving enthusiasts by demonstrating the S60’s driving dynamics, design and innovative technology,” the brand says.

So, for the last level – perhaps something in outer space?