Škoda has launched a new brand campaign via DDB Sydney that centres on the idea that you don’t have to be famous to be brilliant.

Featuring clever Australians doing amazing things, and doing them differently, the campaign challenges the normal car ad conventions.

The campaign will be the biggest for Škoda this year and will run over three months across TV, outdoor, social, digital and retail nationally.

Škoda Australia director Michael Irmer said the campaign is unique in that it challenges the buyer to disregard the more obvious choices and instead consider Skoda.

“Škoda’s tagline, ‘Simply Clever’, encapsulates both the accessibility and the innovation of our cars and SUVs,” he said.

“The brand campaign paves the way for an entirely new direction for Škoda in the shape of the Kodiaq. As the first affordable seven-seat SUV from Europe, it is a game changer – one that challenges not only the traditional market leaders in this family vehicle segment, but also far more expensive prestige models.”

DDB Sydney managing partner Amanda Wheeler said the campaign pushes against category conventions to stand out in a cluttered market.

“In an unexpected approach for a car company, this Škoda campaign celebrates people who are brilliant but not famous,” she said.

“The idea of the campaign is to align the brilliance and inventiveness of these people with the brilliance and inventiveness of Škoda, helping to create a greater appreciation of the Škoda brand in Australia.”

DDB chief creative officer Ben Welsh said the campaign is sophisticated, subtle and aspirational, and features two Aussies who certainly aren’t household names, but are nonetheless exceptional.

“In the first spot, we meet Dr John O’Sullivan, the leader of the team who invented WiFi, and a second to be launched in July features Aelita Andre, a 10-year-old artist who had her first art exhibition in New York at the age of four,” he said.

“Too many people in this world are famous for being famous, while those who really contribute to society are often overlooked. This campaign beautifully highlights the simple genius and different thinking that has gotten our talent where they are today.”

CREDITS

Client: Škoda

Australian director – Michael Irmer

Marketing manager – Irena Kelava

Marketing manager – Andrew Younis

Marketing communications manager – Emma Ireland

Agency: DDB Sydney

Chief creative officer – Ben Welsh

Creatives – Dave King and Jason Woelfl

Managing director – Nicole Taylor

Manging partner – Amanda Wheeler

Business director – Charlie Norfeldt

Business executive – Sigrid Westhoff

Planning partner – Graham Sweet

Senior planner – Mark Arvai

Head of integrated content – Sevda Cemo

Senior producer – Sevda Cemo

Content producer (film three) – Isabella Harris

Social content creator – Lachlan Stewart

Digital producer – Maria Cherginets

Print producer – John Wood

Production house: Exit Films

Director/content director: Greg Wood/ Tom Campbell

Executive producer – Leah Churchill Brown

Producer – Karen Sproul

Cinematographer – Ross Giardina ACS

Post Production: The Editors

Editor (Škoda brand) – Bernard Garry ASE

Editor (KODIAQ) – Lawrence van Camp

Content editor – Grace Eyre

Colourist – Billy Wychgel

Flame operator – Viv Baker

Executive Producer – Kate Stenhouse

Producer – Daniel Fry

Sound Production: Rumble Studios

Creative/sound engineer – Nat Noyce

Executive producer – Michael Gie

Producer – Sharika Toth

Music composer – Rumble Studios