Sometimes the most successful marketing doesn't require billboards or digital campaigns, but simply a slightly absurd but ingenious installation. That's exactly the story of an old Swedish Volvo sedan that has been “parked” in the middle of a man-made lake near Ottawa, Illinois, USA, for more than 13 years. Its strange fate, told by Oddity Central, has transformed the place into a local landmark known as Volvo Island.
The Beginning: Marketing and Crisis
At the center of this story is Scott Mann - a city resident and owner of two local auto repair shops. More than a decade ago, faced with difficulties in his career, Mann decided to resort to an unusual move. He parked his old Volvo on a small island in the artificial lake and announced a public contest.
The riddle was simple but intriguing: the audience had to answer the question "How the hell did this car end up in the middle of a deep lake?" The idea was to provoke curiosity and, of course, draw attention to his auto repair shops.
From mystery to landmark
Although the initial contest was exciting, Scott Mann eventually gave up on it. The reason was good - he feared that in their quest to solve the mystery, people would start wading in the water and putting themselves at risk to reach the car.
Despite the contest being canceled, Mann left the car in its place. No matter how effective this creative marketing idea was for his business, it achieved something else. The area jutting out into the water with the parked Volvo is quickly gaining popularity.
Thus, having become a fun tourist attraction and a kind of monument to the absurdity of the automobile, "Volvo Island" is establishing itself as a popular local landmark in Ottawa County. The car, left for years under the influence of atmospheric conditions, is now part of the landscape, telling the quiet but persistent story of a man who decided to be noticed in the only way possible for him.