FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WORLDWIDE TREASURE HUNT FOR BURIED VOLVO
Action-packed webisodes capture frantic final search for buried Volvo XC90 V8 SUV in Islands of the Bahamas
Event part of Volvo’s promotional tie-in to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; visit www.volvocars.us/thehunt
(IRVINE, Calif.) Aug. 24, 2006 - Lights! Camera! Arrggggghhhhhhh! Starting tomorrow, Volvo Car Corporation will premiere an online series of action-packed webisodes chronicling the final stages of its global, multi-media treasure hunt for a pirate-themed Volvo XC90 V8 that Volvo buried in a secret location somewhere in the world.
With seven wanna-be pirates from around the world competing in a frantic, two-day search by land, sea and air throughout the Islands of the Bahamas, the three webisodes –– available at www.volvocars.us/thehunt –– cap Volvo’s wildly popular multi-media campaign it developed as part of its sponsorship of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
The webisodes were produced in the tradition of such popular reality shows as Survivor and Amazing Race, and were filmed by individuals who have worked on reality shows such as Fear Factor. While the first installment premieres tomorrow, part two and the concluding part three premiere Monday, Aug. 28 and Tuesday, Aug. 29, and will be available online for the coming months.
The seven individuals, including three from the United States as well as one each from Japan, United Kingdom, Spain and Austria, were the first among their respective nations to complete a fun, yet challenging, online treasure hunt presented by Volvo that launched on June 12, concluded four weeks later and elicited 52,000 participants in the U.S. alone. They arrived on the Islands of the Bahamas two weeks ago unaware of the location of the final leg until their aircraft landed.
The seven competed in a series of mental and physical challenges on the islands that either eliminated them from competition or advanced them to the next challenge. The ultimate winner was David Hutz, a 30 year-old computer programmer from Herndon, Va. After Hutz determined the final location, assistants dug up the $82,000 Volvo and presented him with the keys. He then announced that he would give the car to his wife, Sheila Hutz. In a surprising twist, nobody left the Bahamas empty handed. At the conclusion of the Hunt, in true Volvo fashion, each finalist was surprised with a small treasure chest that contained keys to a new Volvo.
Other finalists in the Hunt included:
The buried, one-of-a-kind, Volvo XC90 featured a variety of elements inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, including menacing graphics from the film, black leather seats, custom painted 20 inch wheels and more.
Volvo’s promotion of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest grew out of the partnership with Disney for the worldwide Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo ship bears the name of the same boat in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, “The Black Pearl.” The Ocean Race began in Vigo, Spain on Nov. 12, 2005 and ended in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 17, 2006.
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Contact:
Kim Mcmartin,
Haberman & Associates,
612-372-6464,
kim@habermaninc.com
Roger Ormisher,
Volvo Cars of North America,
949-341-6715,
rormishe@volvocars.com
