The ‘Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity’ is the world’s best-known event in the advertising industry. There are gold, silver and bronze ‘Lions’ awards up for grabs –which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of advertising. The advertising festival is in its 42nd year and this year’s awards ceremony took place on the 23 June. This year, the jurors had to choose from over 40,000 applications.
ŠKODA Spain received two Lions, for its ‘70 Guardians of Winter’ campaign – gold and bronze. The jury appeared impressed by the creative approach which was something new for the car industry, and the fact that the advertising for the ŠKODA Octavia Scout was combined with a tangible social project – in this case, the school was saved.
“We are absolutely delighted with this prestigious award for ŠKODA Spain,” said Stefan Büscher, Head of ŠKODA Marketing. “‘70 Guardians of Winter’ is a creative, emotive and modern implementation of automotive marketing; we, at ŠKODA, are breaking the mould with it and assuming social responsibility at the same time.”
The Spanish mountain village of Valdelinares takes centre stage in the award-winning campaign. Only 70 people live in the village and the particularly harsh winter makes life challenging for them. With the local primary school facing the threat of closure in 2014, the future of the village was more uncertain than ever before – without the school, the families of the schoolchildren are expected to leave the village.
By drawing attention to the village’s precarious situation through the use of modern media communications in Spain, ŠKODA Spain’s creative campaign managed – in connection with the Octavia Scout – to attract new residents to the village and therefore prevent the school closure.
The all-wheel-drive Octavia Scout played a central role in rescuing the school from closure.
During the first phase, ŠKODA introduced the village online through the website www.guardianesdelinvierno.es. The footage, available online, shows the village and living conditions and was made in collaboration with all 70 residents.
In addition to this authentic representation of the village, the website was campaigning for a new family for the
village. As an incentive, ŠKODA offered an Octavia Scout and a job as the official driver of the ‘70 Guardians of Winter’ in the village.
The unusual Internet offer was very well received: more than 600 applicants applied. A family of five from Valencia was selected and they have lived in Valdelinares ever since. The three children already attend the school – allowing it to remain open.
At the end of the campaign, ŠKODA showed the rescue mission in a further TV advert. The message: ŠKODA Octavia Scout 4×4 has also contributed to the village once again having a future.
The creative approach, the authentic implementation, the prevention of the school closure, as well as the high level of interest in the campaign, all impressed the Cannes Lions jury.
150707 ŠKODA wins two Cannes Lions at the International Festival of Creativity
