The name of SKODA’s new SUV is inspired by the Alaskan Kodiak Bear. For legal reasons it was decided to spell it with a Q – ‘Kodiaq’.

We were asked to promote the name on the day it was announced– for the fairly limited budget of 120k Euros.

ŠKODA officially named its new segment-entry SUV, set to be unveiled late 2016, Kodiaq. In a coup for the Czech car company, a city in Alaska changed its title for a day to mark the day of the official announcement. ‘Kodiak’ became ‘Kodiaq’, with a number of official signs being changed. A film unit documented preparation for the city’s ‘Name Day’, interviewing locals about their reaction to the change – with humorous results.

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.