AGENCY: Proximity Barcelona
PRODUCT
Brand campaign
TITLE: The Desert Cowboys
CLIENT: ŠKODA SPAIN
MEDIA: All media
COUNTRY: Spain
DATE OF CAMPAIGN: 18/07/2017
Chief Creative officer: Eva Santos
Creative director: Ramon Caba, Alba Vence
Creative supervisor: Anna Soler
Copywriters: Laura Cuni, Jordi Iglesias
Art directors: David Casado, Bruno Spagnuolo, Anna de Más, Sergio Lahoz
Client services director: Amanda Muñiz
Account director: Arantza Bilbao
Account supervisor: Aida Mateo
Account executive: Alba Muñoz
Strategic Planner: Patricia Urgoiti
Communications manager: Laura Carrillo
Producer: Sigfrid Mariné
Production company: Lobo Kane
Director: Paco Caballero
Director of photography: Román Martinez de Bujo
Executive producer: Ramón Corominas
BACKGROUND
The Tabernas Desert (Almería) played a major role in the development of the international western industry. Many of the most iconic spaghetti westerns were filmed there. However, once the commercial opportunities of the western had been exhausted, a different reality set in. Since the demise of the western, the villages in the Tabernas Desert have suffered from a lack of job opportunities and poor services and communication links. This has had huge demographic implications for the area – the number of people living here has halved in recent decades, leading to an ageing population and making isolation a real threat to be feared.
IDEA
With the aim of revitalizing the Tabernas Desert (Almería), the automotive brand ŠKODA created the campaign "The Desert Cowboys". A project that pays tribute to the people who still live in the desert, in which the citizens were asked to collaborate, in order to set up a transport service that will connect the villages of the region. After more than 5,000,000 likes on social networks, the service is already a reality. To start up the service, Tabernas Local Council launched a public tender to find the driver of the ŠKODA KODIAQ, who is currently providing the stagecoach service that connects the localities of Alcudia de Monteagud, Tahal and Senés with Tabernas free-of-charge three days a week.
The launch of the service, on 20 September, was reported at the presentation of the 7th edition of the Almeria Western Film Festival. A film festival created to promote the Western genre and stimulate the film industry in the region, of which ŠKODA is one of the main sponsors.
Coinciding with this, ŠKODA has also released the "The Desert Cowboys” documentary, directed by Paco Cabellero, in tribute to those who still live in the desert and whose day-to-day difficulties, due to the lack of transport, are expected to improve with the implementation of the service. The piece can be seen on ŠKODA’s social networks and on the project’s website http://www.thedesertcowboys.co...
After helping the inhabitants of Valdelinares and the Tabernas Desert, the brand continues in its fight against isolation and depopulation in remote locations with mobility solutions.
RESULTS
The campaign has already been launched so we are waiting for results.