The development of Volvo Cars' first simple advertising giveaways to today's well thought-out range of merchandise tells an exciting story. Today the vintage advertising giveaways are once again in sharp focus - as highly attractive collectibles.
Vintage advertising giveaways from car manufacturers are changing hands via websites and trade fairs the world over - sometimes at astronomical prices. For Volvo Cars, it all began in the 1930s. That's when the earliest known advertising giveaways made an entry. A matchbook from 1935 with a picture of a Volvo PV 36 - also known as the Carioca - in gold print is today a true rarity for a collector.
At about the same time, Volvo introduced lapel badges with the company's logo. Another rare collectible from the mid-thirties is a beautiful crystal schnapps glass with Volvo's first logo. These advertising giveaways were aimed primarily at dealers and importers - they were not intended as merchandise for sale to Volvo customers.
Everything for smokers!
Many of the early decades' advertising giveaways circled around smoking. There were matchboxes, lighters, ashtrays and even pipes! 1957 saw the introduction of matches that were true carriers of the Volvo brand - when the matchbook was opened to extract a matchstick, the inside bore a text extolling the virtues of the famed PV warranty. Knowing what we know about the effects of smoking on health, this trail might seem very odd today - but those were different times.
Lapel badges form another classic category. They were followed by a modern successor when the Volvo S80 was launched in 1998. A safety pin shaped like an S80 was produced to commemorate the launch, and it has since been followed by several successors. Another common advertising product from Volvo was the pocket-knife. Over the years it has been produced in a wide range of styles. One very special version came in the early 1970s. On one side it had a discreet Volvo logo and on the other side a depiction of the various stages in the painting of a Volvo car.
Model cars : a favorite
Model cars of various types and sizes have naturally also been a mainstay of the advertising product scene over the years. The very first one came in the mid-1940s when toy manufacturer Brio made models of the Volvo PV 444 in the 1:24 scale. One version was made of wood, another of metal. And in the early 1960s, the very first pedal-car from Volvo was introduced - a P1800 made of metal.
The model cars from yesteryear can be divided into three categories: special products such as the Volvo 760 and 780 in hand-cut crystal, toys for young children, and hand-built collectors' models.
Some time during the 1970s, today's more cohesive approach to advertising gifts was born - the focus would now be on lifestyle items that match the brand and its products. Volvo R-Sport created dedicated fashion catalogues to showcase its products. In the 1980s, more clothes collections were added, spotlighting the needs of different user groups such as sailors, golfers, tennis players and skiers. The 1980s also saw the start of a rather odd and short-lived side-trail - food. These were cartons filled with Swedish pickled herring in various flavours as well as choice chocolate gift boxes for connoisseurs. They were primarily intended as Christmas gifts.
Success of the pedal car
The USA and Sweden are two of Volvo's markets that have created their own advertising product ranges. The Swedish market produced a highly successful item that made inroads throughout the world - the pedal car. The first was modelled on the Volvo 740. At least 1000 cars had to be sold in order for the product to reach break-even. It was a huge success. When the rest of Volvo's markets found out about the pedal car, they all joined in. More than 10,000 were sold in all!
Link to the Volvo Cars Merchandise site: www.volvocars.com/collection.
photo:Volvo
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| When the Volvo 850 was launched, an Asian wood carver was commissioned to produce handmade models of the car in wood. |
Vintage advertising giveaways from car manufacturers are changing hands via websites and trade fairs the world over - sometimes at astronomical prices. For Volvo Cars, it all began in the 1930s. That's when the earliest known advertising giveaways made an entry. A matchbook from 1935 with a picture of a Volvo PV 36 - also known as the Carioca - in gold print is today a true rarity for a collector.
At about the same time, Volvo introduced lapel badges with the company's logo. Another rare collectible from the mid-thirties is a beautiful crystal schnapps glass with Volvo's first logo. These advertising giveaways were aimed primarily at dealers and importers - they were not intended as merchandise for sale to Volvo customers.
Everything for smokers!
Many of the early decades' advertising giveaways circled around smoking. There were matchboxes, lighters, ashtrays and even pipes! 1957 saw the introduction of matches that were true carriers of the Volvo brand - when the matchbook was opened to extract a matchstick, the inside bore a text extolling the virtues of the famed PV warranty. Knowing what we know about the effects of smoking on health, this trail might seem very odd today - but those were different times.
Lapel badges form another classic category. They were followed by a modern successor when the Volvo S80 was launched in 1998. A safety pin shaped like an S80 was produced to commemorate the launch, and it has since been followed by several successors. Another common advertising product from Volvo was the pocket-knife. Over the years it has been produced in a wide range of styles. One very special version came in the early 1970s. On one side it had a discreet Volvo logo and on the other side a depiction of the various stages in the painting of a Volvo car.
Model cars : a favorite
Model cars of various types and sizes have naturally also been a mainstay of the advertising product scene over the years. The very first one came in the mid-1940s when toy manufacturer Brio made models of the Volvo PV 444 in the 1:24 scale. One version was made of wood, another of metal. And in the early 1960s, the very first pedal-car from Volvo was introduced - a P1800 made of metal.
The model cars from yesteryear can be divided into three categories: special products such as the Volvo 760 and 780 in hand-cut crystal, toys for young children, and hand-built collectors' models.
Some time during the 1970s, today's more cohesive approach to advertising gifts was born - the focus would now be on lifestyle items that match the brand and its products. Volvo R-Sport created dedicated fashion catalogues to showcase its products. In the 1980s, more clothes collections were added, spotlighting the needs of different user groups such as sailors, golfers, tennis players and skiers. The 1980s also saw the start of a rather odd and short-lived side-trail - food. These were cartons filled with Swedish pickled herring in various flavours as well as choice chocolate gift boxes for connoisseurs. They were primarily intended as Christmas gifts.
Success of the pedal car
The USA and Sweden are two of Volvo's markets that have created their own advertising product ranges. The Swedish market produced a highly successful item that made inroads throughout the world - the pedal car. The first was modelled on the Volvo 740. At least 1000 cars had to be sold in order for the product to reach break-even. It was a huge success. When the rest of Volvo's markets found out about the pedal car, they all joined in. More than 10,000 were sold in all!
Link to the Volvo Cars Merchandise site: www.volvocars.com/collection.
 |
| More than 10,000 of this 740 pedal car were produced and sold the world over! |
photo:Volvo