Safety, sustainability, and Scandinavian design are key pillars for Volvo Cars. In late 2020, on the eve of launching its first fully electric vehicle, Volvo Cars Canada turned to us to devise an activation that brought all three pillars to life.

Our idea: a design challenge that would push Canadian thinkers and designers to conceive of a “new garage” — a reimagining of the garage-vehicle relationship into a space that embodies sustainability, innovation, and livability. With the pandemic spurring people to create more livable space in their homes, the challenge was timely.

We established the New Garage Design Challenge in partnership with the Toronto Interior Design Show (IDS). The plan was to showcase the winning design submission, selected by a panel of judges that included leading Canadian designers and architects, in a live installation on the show floor at IDS 2021.

But things don’t always go to plan. Leading up to the show, a new wave of pandemic lockdowns put a stop to all in-person events, including IDS. Rather than abandon the concept, we quickly found a strategic way to pivot to an at-home showcase that didn’t skimp on interactivity.

We turned the live installation into an immersive virtual experience, using a 3D interface that allowed users to explore the winning design ('Parking-Parc' by Montreal designer Tiam Maeiya) that we paired with a video profile about the design concept.

The reworked New Garage activation maximized wonder and discovery, as proven by the results: millions of impressions, steady media coverage (including in leading design titles), significant ad revenue, and the successful positioning of Volvo Car Canada as an innovative leader in the design world.