KODIAQ NAME ANNOUNCEMENT

TitleKODIAQ NAME ANNOUNCEMENT
BrandŠKODA AUTO A.S.
Product/ServiceŠKODA KODIAQ
Category A02. Creative Innovation
Entrant FALLON PRAHA Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
Idea Creation FALLON PRAHA Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
Credits
Name Company Position
Colin Lamberton Fallon Prague Executive Creative Director
Michael Pfeiffer Belli Fallon Prague Creative Director
Anthony Underhill Fallon Prague Creative Director
Andreas von Loeper Fallon Prague Managing Director
Jeremie Bertolino Fallon Prague Client Service Director
Matěj Šámal Armada Films Director
Armada Films Armada Films Production Company
Stefan Büscher Škoda Auto a.s. Head of Marketing and Product
Thanh Vu Tran Škoda Auto a.s. Head of Communication Content
Dominika Bašková Fallon Prague Account Manager
Libor Šedivák ŠKODA Auto a.s. Global Communication Content and Strategy
Eva Hurtová ŠKODA Auto a.s. Global Communication Content and Strategy
Barbora Matoušková Fallon Prague Global Communication Content and Strategy
Juraj Rothenbuhler ŠKODA Auto a.s. Coordinator, production of advertising campaigns
David Havel Fallon Prague Producer

The Campaign

How to promote the name of a car that is effectively spelt incorrectly? Well, a little research offered a solution… The native Alutiiq tribe (who have been living on Kodiak island for over 7,000 years) traditionally use the suffix ‘q’ when naming all things – especially animals. For example they call the bear “Taq uka ‘aq”. So to publicize the name and honor the native Alutiiq, we approached the mayor of Kodiak city with the idea of changing her city’s name for a day to mark the official name announcement. Happily, she agreed. So, on 6 May, 2016 Kodiak became ‘Kodiaq’ for a day.

Creative Execution

In preparation for the city’s ‘Name Day’, official signs at key locations across the city were changed, including the port facilities and on the highway at the city limits. The Kodiak daily newspaper changed its name for a day and several services and retailers joined the initiative. A film crew documented the preparations, following the city’s mayor as she went around town asking locals to help make the change – with some humorous encounters. The ‘Name Day’ film was aired on ŠKODA’s social media channels, while an accompanying PR drive seeded the story with news and automotive channels. The Kodiaq, and the story behind the added ‘Q’, felt like a seamless fit into the campaign architecture.

In terms of the film’s impact online, in the first month alone (6.5.16 to 9.6.16), the film amassed 4.101.478 views via Facebook, YouTube and ŠKODA portals. But numbers alone aren’t necessarily the best barometer of a film’s effectiveness. Shares, likes and comments offer a good indication of the public’s reaction. As you can see, the idea reached beyond the hard-core automotive enthusiasts and brand advocates, striking a chord with potential customers across Europe – and beyond. The ŠKODA Kodiaq was revealed to the world for the very first time in Berlin on September 1, 2016. It was noted in the trade press as one of the year’s most anticipated automotive unveilings. The Name Day film was played as part of the unveiling ceremony, and due to its success (proving to be especially popular internally in helping

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