ROCKLEIGH, NJ – Volvo is airing a national TV ad featuring NBA point guard Jeremy Lin. The ad will highlight the values that helped Lin achieve stardom, which Volvo said parallels the commitment and values that make the company a unique luxury brand. Volvo said part of the two-year global endorsement deal is to engage younger customers in emerging markets, including China and others in Asia, and in the U.S.

The spot shows Lin leaving a celebrity event in a Volvo XC60, which the automaker noted is the only European SUV with a with a 5-star rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick from IIHS, in “passion red” standing out among a procession of black limos. He changes the turn signal from the left indicator to the right and then drives away from the crowd in the ad spot.

Volvo said the ad’s message shows Lin’s journey to the NBA after being an undrafted guard from an Ivy League school (the automaker noted that Lin is a Harvard graduate).

“No one expected me to be here. No expected me to be a starter, to hit game-winning shots. Or even play in this league,” Lin said. “Well, I'm not here to live up to anyone else's expectations-I'm here to live up to mine.”

According to Volvo, the 30-second commercial, “The Unexpected Ones,” began airing nationally on Oct. 8 on broadcast stations and cable networks, including ESPN and ESPN2. The ad launched during the morning segment of “SportsCenter,” “Dancing with the Stars” in prime time, and will appear during “First Take,” “College Football,” “20/20,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Mentalist,” and “Law & Order SVU” throughout the rest of the week.

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