Preconceptions Out the Window: Škoda Drives a New Narrative on Everyday EV Living

Leo UK and Škoda UK are shining a light on outdated and misconceived stereotypes of electric car drivers in new campaign ‘Electric, but Škoda’.

Aimed at drivers who are undecided about switching to an electric vehicle, ‘Electric, but Škoda’ playfully challenges common stereotypes of electric car drivers as ‘tech bros’ and ‘hipsters’. Spanning across TV, Cinema, Social and Digital, the campaign showcases Škoda’s dynamic EV range.

At the core of the campaign is a 60-second film by Leo Burnett. Set in a British cul-de-sac, a family moving to a new neighbourhood are cheekily judged by their neighbours for their electric car. As the family’s EV charging point is installed, the neighbours suspiciously gossip about the family, exchanging rumours that they must be ‘part of a cult’, ‘tree huggers’ or have ‘paid for their car with crypto’ as they drive an electric car. The entire neighbourhood descend on the family's house to watch their arrival, only to discover they’re perfectly ordinary.

45-second social-first films, running across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, take a playful approach as the neighbourhood characters encourage viewers to skip their stereotyped views of electric cars as ‘hipstery hummus-eating smoothie drinkers’ and ‘tech bros with Bluetooth bellybuttons’ and try an electric vehicle for themselves. Shorter 20-second and 6-second cutdowns are repurposed for social.

Animations of the neighbourhood’s WhatsApp conversations follow the gossip across social channels, engaging Škoda’s online audience by calling out some of the strange stereotypes the nation has about electric cars and their drivers. A further paid social series ‘Ask Škoda’ sees the neighbourhood characters asking questions about electric cars to educate audiences about Škoda’s electric vehicle range and electric cars in general.

Collaborations with a diverse range of social media influencers, including gardening and upcycling experts, will illustrate to Škoda’s online audience how electric vehicles help them to get their tasks done with ease.

The campaign follows Leo Burnett’s 2024 innovative social-first campaign for Škoda ‘The Redditor Edit’ which won two gold Lions and a silver Lion at Cannes.

Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer, Leo UK, said: “Tapping into the everyday conversations of the nation is what we do best. Quintessentially British, we can all recognise certain elements of the characters in our campaign, they live next door or just down the street. This campaign celebrates the quirks that can only be found in British communities – though this comes with an important message, we hope helps everyone see that the switch to electric isn’t that scary after all.”  

 Kirsten Stagg, Marketing Director, Škoda UK, said: “There is a trend in the auto industry to treat electric cars like a totally new category, reinforcing this sense of ‘otherness’, which is keeping many people from trading in their petrol and diesel cars. With this campaign, we wanted to give drivers the sense that Škoda makes great cars and some of them just happen to be electric. It positions us as the approachable yet desirable entry point to EVs and continues our strategy of using bold creative to grab attention.”

CREDITS

CAMPAIGN TITLE: ‘Electric, but Škoda’

CLIENT: Škoda UK

MARKETING DIRECTOR: Kirsten Stagg

BRAND & PERFORMANCE MARKETING MANAGER: Peter McLeod

BRAND MARKETING MANAGER: Rhidian Taylor

ADVERTISING AGENCY: Leo Burnett

CCO: Mark Elwood

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTORS: James Millers & Andrew Long

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Graham Lakeland

SOCIAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Beth Manning

SENIOR CREATIVES: Chaz Mathers & Lucy Jones

DESIGN DIRECTORS: Paul Reddington

PROJECT DIRECTOR: Fahed Eichikhe

PROJECT MANAGER: Michael Serrao

PLANNING PARTNER: Henry Gray

MANAGING PARTNER: Liam Hopkins

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Rachel Jeffery

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Tobias Dahlhaus

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Charley Fryers

AGENCY PRODUCERS: Georgina Pearson

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Sara Gill

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Biscuit Filmworks

DIRECTOR: Damien Shatford

PRODUCER: Tom Birmingham

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Davina Abrahams

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Dalia Saeed

EP: Katie Keith

HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Emily Atterton

FOUNDING PARTNER: Shawn Lacy

MANAGING DIRECTOR: Rupert Reynolds-MacLean

DOP: Franz Lustig

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Nicki Gardiner

CASTING DIRECTOR: Nicci Topping

STYLIST: Gracie Snell

HAIR AND MAKEUP: Louise Meadows

EDITING COMPANY: Stitch

EDITOR: Pete Scibberas @ Stitch Editors

EDITOR EP: Maggie McDermott

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Laura Zvaríková

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Black Kite

POST PRODUCTION EP: Hazel Gibson

COLOURIST: Rich Fearon

VFX SUPERVISOR: Guillaume Weiss

VFX LEAD: Jonathan Box

AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Factory Studios

SOUND ENGINEER: Jon Clarke

AUDIO PRODUCER: Becs Boswell

MUSIC SUPERVISION: Wake the Town

MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Ronnie Olubayo

SOCIAL and STILL CONTENT

AGENCY PRODUCERS: Amber Fahrner

STILLS PRODUCER: Sara Gill

PHOTOGRAPHER: Scott Cross

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Prodigious

DIRECTOR: Yiani Andrikidas

EDITOR: Yiani Andrikidas

DOP: Chaimaa Ormazabal

OFF SITE PRODUCER: Emily Slupecka

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Prodigious

COLOURIST: Harbour

AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Factory Studios and Prodigious

SOUND ENGINEER: Jon Clarke @ Factory Studios

AUDIO PRODUCER: Becs Boswell

DESIGNER: Khalil Dase