Volvo Launches S40 in $3 Million Push

Volvo Cars of North America is running an estimated $3 million tour and online sweeps to launch its S40 sedan this spring.

Volvo partners with Virgin Megastores for a 10-market All Access Tour showcasing the sedan at Virgin stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, Chicago, Boston and New York City. Attendees get a CD sampler; a sweeps overlay will award a trip for four to Sweden (Volvo's home base) and London (Virgin's headquarters). The tour began Jan. 20 and runs through April 14.

A nine-market All Access Drive Experience lets consumers sign up for driving seminars and a Saturday-night concert by Gavin DeGraw. The effort runs Feb. 21 through May 2 in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Washington.

Meanwhile, an estimated $75,000 online sweeps runs through March 31, awarding a tailor-made trip for four and one new car. The Volvo S40 Four Friends, For Life Giveaway asks entrants at www.volvocars.us to specify the location and type of grand-prize trip they'd like (Las Vegas, New York City, Hollywood or Miami) and to give the e-mail addresses of the three friends they'd take along if they win. Volvo e-mails those friends information on the car and sweeps and an invitation to enter themselves. The grand-prize winner also gets a 2004.5 model S40 from Irvine, CA-based Volvo.