Published bi-annually in 20 languages and 25 countries with a total circulation of 1.5 million, LIV was Volvo’s multi-award winning global, premium customer lifestyle magazine and iPad app. As Art Director, I worked closely with the senior members of the editorial and account management team, whilst managing a design team of five. I designed, commissioned and art directed the most creative automotive and lifestyle photography and illustration that communicated to customers to reinforce Volvo’s core brand and lifestyle values through the magazine, and digital content, both in the app and online. This involved organising and art directing international photoshoots, briefing photographers and illustrators, managing budgets, booking models, stylists and hair and make-up artists, designing english and international foreign language pages, whilst also developing and art directing several short films per issue. I designed mood boards, liaised and presented to key Swedish, UK and International Volvo marketing clients on a regular basis.
Dubai was chosen as a launch location for the S80 and XC70 models using the contrasting modern architectural and the wilderness of the desert that surrounds it. I art directed the stills shoot whilst alongside co-directing 3 short films. Photography by Anton Watts.
Volvo's USP is people. The cars are designed around people, but the new S60 was briefed as a more exciting, driver’s car. For the launch of the all-new Volvo S60, I concepted and art directed a shoot on location in Gothenburg, introducing the reader to the team behind the car, it's new features and design ethos. The team were shot in a heroic confident way, leveraging the Scandinavian coolness. Photography by Dylan Collard.
I commissioned Greg Pajo to shoot a series of exciting images that captured the performance of the C30 Polestar taking on the famous Nürburgring to project the car as a halo model. The aim was to prove Volvo's heritage as a performance brand, rather than being solely known for safety. Stills were shot alongside an exhilarating film.
Using the adventurous Volvo XC70 as an enabler we took the car to the deserts of Oman. Andrew Shaylor was commissioned to capture the trip, shooting stunning portraits of the people we met along the journey as well as natural beauty shots of the car in the enchanting deserts along the Frankincense trail. An elegant, but bold typographic treatment was used to contrast the striking amber eyes of a woman selling frankincense.
Although is Volvo renown for safety, not many people realise that they invented the seat belt and shared it with the world. For the 50 year anniversary I concepted a shoot that made the number 50 from the familiar black straps.