The Most Epic Of Splits

“ I’ve had my ups and downs. My fair share of bumpy roads and heavy winds. That’s what made me what I am today. Now I stand here before you. What you see is a body crafted  to perfection. A pair of legs engineered to defy the laws of physics and a mindset to master the most epic of Splits. “

Jean Claude Van Damme

Volvo Trucks Live Test Campaign

The above are the words of Belgian actor and Martial Arts Star Jean Claude Van Damme perched on the side view mirrors of two Volvo Trucks, about to showcase an incredible piece of physical agility, mental toughness and rare bravado. The site being the now  abandoned Ciudad Real International Airport, Spain, chosen to shoot the Volvo Truck Advertisement, the sixth commercial in their Live Test’ Campaign, set up to demonstrate the stability and precision of the Volvo Dynamic Steering.

An Incredible Piece of Work

The Van Damme Epic Split

In this 75 second commercial two trucks have been shown moving backwards at a speed of 25 kmph. Van Damme has been hoisted in between the trucks with each of his legs on the side view mirrors, where  one  of the trucks moves sideways and Van Damme performs a phenomenal split. Both the drivers maintain the speed and distance between them with immaculate accuracy, ensuring a one take shoot, with the song ‘ Only Time ‘ by Enya playing in the background. The commercial is shot with the sun about to do down. The serenity of the song, the view in the background and some spectacular performance from Van Damme and the truck drivers, resulted in an astonishing piece of work.

Awards Galore and so do Sales

The Advertisement produced by the agency Forsman & Bodenfors and directed by Andreas Nilsson was viewed multiple  million times and won several awards and appreciation for its content, message  and slick production. Volvo Trucks too benefitted from the ad with a huge positive traction in sales. The song by Enya which was released a good 13 years before the commercial made it to the Billboard top 100 list. 

There is a Lot more to the Ad

There is no doubt that the visual   impact of the ad was stunning and it was able to communicate and display the finesse of Volvo  trucks in no uncertain terms. However, what has captured my imagination is the teamwork which has gone into this ad,  and the fact that trust between man and machine was of such critical relevance. There are several learnings from this advertisement which we need to understand.

Trust is a vital Cog in a Team Exercise

Since the trucks are moving backwards, Van Damme is subjected to a force pushing him in the opposite direction, but he still hangs on, pretty much stable on the side view mirrors. The stability of the trucks and their precise movement  helps  in Van Damme’s steady stand. The expert driving skills,  particularly of the driver (Mikael Rosell) who moves sideways has to be applauded. Van Damme had to trust the ability of the drivers for performing the split and also for his own safety and well being. It was an all collaborative effort executed to perfection. This is how great teams function and deliver great results. Trust,  undoubtedly  is a vital component of any team exercise. 

Human Potential is a Bottomless Pit

A word for Van Damme too, who at the age of 53 (at the time of the shoot), showed how good he is, no different from the performance in his raging hit Bloodsport some 35 years ago. He had executed  his incredible splits in that film too. What a Star. This brings to light another factor which I need to mention, ‘ Exploiting one’s potential ‘. The depths of our potential is a bottomless pit, we just need to keep working on it, be consistent and have self belief, just like Van Damme and the drivers and engineers of Volvo Trucks.

Keep Going !!…and yes, please do watch the video below.

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