Grey Personalises Volvo with Human Made Stories

If you thought humanity couldn’t exist in car ads; that the sleek and stylised spots that dominate car commercials were deemed impersonal; then Volvo’s newly-released series will prove you wrong.

Conceived by Grey London and distributed via Sky Atlantic (as Volvo is sponsoring the channel), the Human Made Stories will tell stories about people who live exceptionally and do exceptional things, in an attempt to make the brand seem more people-centric.

Helmed by Pulse director D.A.R.Y.L, the series initially launched with a triptych of episodes that focusses on how craft and innovation can change the world… all the while featuring different car models in the background of each spot.

“With Human Made Stories we wanted to give remarkable individuals, who are pioneers in their field of work, an opportunity to tell their [stories],” says Grey’s strategic design director Wiktor Skoog. “Because at the end of the day these are the kind of people Volvo design their cars for.”

The series has so far been divided into three chapters; Oliver; Maria & Josefin; and Erik.

Oliver Armitage’s story (below) focusses on his determination to merge man and machine, striving to revolutionise the way in which amputees can live.

While Swedish entrepreneurs Maria Rinddstam and Josefin Arrhénborg document their work to save the archipelago islands in chapter two (below).

And photographer Erik Johansson (at top) lifts the lid on his projects and how he creates such awe-inspiring images in the final chapter (below).

This series marks the first time that Sky has carried sponsor-led content on its channels, and the films can be found on-air or on-demand. Look out for more additions in the near future via Volvo’s YouTube channel.