Their latest security measures still have a somewhat surprising dispute.
For clothing and hard materials
Life Paint is something as simple as a spray box with a reflective coating.
Two variants can be sprayed on most objects: one on clothing, strollers, and bags, another on harder materials such as plastic, wood, and metal.
This week Volvo is distributing a few thousand spray bottles in London to make the product known, but in fact, Volvo itself has not been involved in developing the product. Neither should they negotiate it.
It is the Swedish sole proprietorship Albedo 100 that looks up at the reflective spray. CEO Anders Wellving says that a group of Swedish inventors with a technical background have long worked to make the product ready for the market.
"The sprays contain binders, reflective particles, and propellant. More than that I can hardly reveal," says Weaving.
What does Volvo get out of marketing a product that is not their own?
Volvo says that the best way to survive an accident is to avoid the accident. They have a self-interest in ensuring that drivers and soft road users are as safe as possible on the road. Also, this campaign gives a lot of goodwill and attention.
Volvo discovered the company through a collaboration with the Finnish Reindeer Owners Association, which tries to limit the number of reindeer killed by spraying the animals' antlers with reflective materials.
Welling's company is also nominated for "Product of the Year" in the Swedish construction industry because the spray is used to mark dangerous areas and objects on construction sites.
Almost invisible in daylight
When Volvo markets the Albedo 100's road safety products, they highlight two products: the "Light metallic" and "Invisible bright" sprays.
"'Invisible bright' is designed for fabric materials. For example, it is sprayed on clothing and disappears upon washing. The same spray can be used on prams or sneakers, where the coating will work until it wears off. Normally, we recommend spraying such items once a month to ensure good enough reflection," says Weaving.
"Light metallic" is a permanent spray, with which you can, for example, spray a bicycle.
Is the spray invisible, as can be seen in Volvo's promotion?
Not completely. "Invisible bright" can give a faint shade of the fabric. "Light metallic" is a partially transparent lacquer, but it colors the objects it is used on. If you do not want to change a whole bike, for example, you can spray the wheels or you can use the spray on areas with masking tape.
Unique?
Some Norwegian stores took in Albedo 100's products in the fall of 2014, before Volvo had done well for them. Anders Wellving claims that they are unique in a world context.
Admittedly, reflective paints are widespread in the industry:
"There are two types," says sales manager Tom Abrahamsen in Jotun. "The one who only reflects when it is illuminated, and the one who stores light and glows," he says.
For example, reflective paints are widely used in engine rooms on ships.
"But reflective spray on clothes, which can be washed off? I do not know such products before," says Abrahamsen.
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