Volvo partnered with Google and The New York Times Magazine to introduce the XC40 Recharge EV using a first-of-its-kind Google Lens-enabled print ad.
"Rather than showing the car, we invited readers to reveal it themselves."
The ad ran as a full inside-cover placement in the NYT Magazine. Rather than displaying the Volvo logo, it simply invited readers to point their phone at the page. Google Lens animated the vehicle building from its chassis — revealing the XC40 Recharge while showcasing Android Auto integration in a way that felt native to the medium.
The execution met consumers exactly where they were: holding a physical magazine with a smartphone in their other hand. It transformed a static print placement into an interactive product experience, making the technology itself the demonstration.
Impact