In 2006, Volvo buried a pirate-themed XC90 in the Bahamas; 52,000 Americans joined the hunt and all 7 finalists received new cars

Most people who buy a car worry about where to park it. In 2006, Volvo took the opposite approach and buried one, then dared the public to find it using online clues. The vehicle was a one-of-a-kind, pirate-themed XC90 V8 hidden somewhere in the world and the only way to claim it was to dig it up. Volvo’s July 26, 2006 press release said more than 52,000 people in the United States took part in the hunt. David Hutz of Virginia eventually located the buried SUV, but Volvo surprised all seven finalists by awarding each of them a new vehicle.Why did Volvo bury an SUV?It was Volvo’s official campaign for the release of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The buried XC90 V8 SE Lux would have cost £46,325 in Britain, Fleet News reported. Volvo billed the hunt as the first search for a buried car. The participants could take a free map from one Volvo dealer and sign up online. The hunt started on June 12, 2006 and ran for four weeks. The participants had to solve some online clues and puzzles and Fleet News claimed that puzzles were sent to registered players via email and became more difficult as time passed during the competition. Almost 30,000 people had entered within the first two weeks, Volvo said, and more than 52,000 Americans took part in the end. Maps and registration stayed open until July 11 and a final clue on July 12 closed the online stage.Seven finalists and a secret island These people were the first contestants from their respective countries to solve the final riddle. There were three from America, including Jenny Buckalew from Newman, Georgia; David Hutz from Herndon, Virginia and James Hutz from Carefree, Arizona. Others included Karl Lloyd from England, Susanne Kalintsch from Austria, Akihiro Horibe from Japan and Jose Luis Dominguez Monge from Spain.Volvo arranged flights for all seven finalists to an undisclosed location on August 6, 2006. The company also provided travel and accommodation for one guest accompanying each finalist, according to a contemporary report by The Auto Channel. According to Volvo’s press release, the finalists did not learn where the final stage would take place until their plane landed in the Bahamas. They had to solve both physical and mental tasks in order to be eliminated or come closer to the car, according to the chief marketer.The dig, the keys and the twistDavid Hutz, a 30-year-old computer programmer, figured out the final destination. His team found the SUV on Abaco Island, Bahamas, on August 9 and handed him the keys. He immediately handed the vehicle to his wife, Sheila, who had travelled with him, Volvo said in a photo caption. Hutz said he had stayed up all night working out the riddles. The surprise didn’t end there. Volvo made it a point not to reveal that all the finalists would receive a prize. Each finalist was stunned by receiving a chest of gold containing keys to a brand-new Volvo, as reported by the VolvoXC site.What the stunt achievedThis was followed up by Volvo with webisodes, telling the tale of the final hunt on 24th August. To build interest in the contest, Volvo Cars of North America published an article on June 28 about the greatest treasure hunters of all time. According to the Volvo UK press release reproduced by Automotoportal, there were more than 1 million hits on its website. It also included statements by Hugh Reid, the UK managing director of Volvo, who called it one of the most unique and successful movie tie-in promotions ever done by a car manufacturer.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.