Czech car manufacturer Skoda is ringing in the Women’s Tour de France with a risqué out-of-home campaign that turns penises into promotion for the race.
Crafted by creative agency FCB London, the brand’s work pokes fun at the fact that every year, hundreds of penises are graffitied onto the race route during the men’s Tour de France.
The problem is a constant battle for organisers who have employed a dedicated team to try to paint over the markings before being captured by the world’s press reporting on the race.
“Having started our journey in 1895 as a bicycle manufacturer, cycling is in our DNA. And this year, as we celebrate our 130th year, it’s especially meaningful to support the Tour, and see our fourth consecutive year as the main official partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the world’s most prestigious women’s cycling race,” said Meredith Kelly, global head of marketing at Skoda.
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“With this bold visual statement, we’re turning an unwanted problem into a powerful opportunity to promote women’s cycling — and what better platform to do so than by infiltrating the 3.5 billion-strong viewership of the Tour de France, to encourage cycling fans of all genders to watch the women’s race,” she continued.
Painted by French illustrator Celine Dormeau and London-based illustrator Erin Aniker, these specially-created artworks incorporate the “saucy scribblings” to turn them into visual statements that celebrate cycling and draw attention to the upcoming women’s event.
Owen Lee, chief creative officer at FCB London added: “When we heard about the penis graffiti that is painted on the course, we saw it as an opportunity to do something bold and disruptive to motivate the Tour’s global audience to sit up and take notice of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.”
“By turning the penises into a conversation starter, we’re not only helping the organisers out, but celebrating cycling and getting more people to #WatchTheFemmes.”
