Volvo Addresses Child Safety and Air Bags -- Press Release

08/28/96

Child Safety and Air Bags Addressed in Volvo Ads


ROCKLEIGH, N.J., Aug. 26 -- Children should not ride in
the front seat of cars, especially not cars equipped with passenger
air bags. That is the idea that Volvo will spend over five million
dollars telling consumers during its new advertising campaign, which
begins the week of August 26th and will run throughout the fall.

Volvo, whose brand is based largely on its safety leadership, created
the ads out of the belief the company has a moral obligation to
communicate its views on children and air bag safety. Government
statistics show passenger- side front air bags industry-wide have
caused the deaths of approximately one child per month for the past
two years.

Volvo's new ads depict a pre-schooler secured in a child seat placed
in the rear center position, while a voice-over explains the
importance of proper seating for children. A 30-second television spot
will air on broadcast and cable networks nationwide, as well as local
stations, while a print version of the ad will appear in national and
local newspapers. Posters carrying the same message will be
distributed by Volvo retailers to places where parents are likely to
congregate: schools, town halls and community centers.

A Horrifying -- and Inspiring -- Sight

Robert Austin, Volvo's director of marketing communications, was
driving to work recently when he saw a horrifying sight. As he pulled
up to a stop light next to a new luxury sedan, he spotted a young boy,
barely tall enough to be visible through the side window, unbelted in
the front seat. Driving the vehicle, the child's mother clearly did
not recognize this for what it was -- a potentially lethal situation.

"I'm sure that child's mother loves him very much, and wants him to be
as safe as possible. Her car was probably equipped with many important
safety features, but having those features doesn't ensure the best
protection," recounted Austin. "It is up to the parents to see that
each child is securely strapped into an appropriate seating device,
and that children are always seated in the rear to protect them from
the power of a deploying front air bag."

Austin shared his experience with his colleagues at Volvo and their
agency, Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG. Everyone
agreed this fall's advertising campaign would be a perfect opportunity
to remind people of the importance of properly restraining children in
the back seat, simultaneously reinforcing Volvo's reputation for
emphasizing safety.

"People must realize that neither the government nor the auto
manufacturers can remove all the risks on the road," Austin
explains. "Parents need to take responsibility and see that their
children are seated and secured safely."