2008 Volvo C30 Advertising

DETROIT — An angry audience throws tomatoes at the new C30. Soon after, a mob throws axes, frogs and arrows at the little Swedish hatchback.

A strange new blog? No, it's Volvo's own commercials trashing the latest car in the company lineup.

The "Product of Freewill" campaign is aimed at the coveted youth market of 25-34-year-old shoppers and is slated to launch in the United States later this year, after running in Europe. The ads will precede the launch of the 2008 Volvo C30 in the U.S. They can be previewed at the Volvo Freewill Web site.

One ad, entitled "Love It/Hate It," zips back and forth between a white rabbit sitting in the grass near a C30 on a sunny day to a stormy day with a ratlike creature lurking near the car. Another spot called "Hiss It/Kiss It" shows dark shadows of a crowd firing axes, frogs and arrows at the C30, counterpointed by a crowd throwing hearts and butterflies. But the most stunning of all is probably "Tomatoes," which shows an angry theater audience hurling tomatoes at the C30.

Volvo says it is hoping to attract buyers who want a car that will stand out, even if it doesn't have universal appeal.

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