Skoda is a Czech automotive brand that's not well-known in Spain. In fact, the primary reason given for not buying its cars is it’s "a foreign brand that's not for me." Skoda wanted to popularize itself locally by making an emotional connection, using the launch of its new Scout 4x4.

We decided to develop a social campaign, something unusual for an automotive brand, and selected a common Spanish problem: rural depopulation. We chose Valdelinares as our symbol, the highest elevation town in Spain. It was on the verge of abandonment.

The school in this town of only 70 people ran the risk of closing due to a lack of students. We saw that we could work together to avoid the closure through a PR strategy focused on generating earned media. Given the type of predicament the town faced, and the involvement of an automotive brand in social issues, we sensed the news would receive a warm welcome from the media consumed by the target market: middle and lower-middle class families. By doing so, we could reach them in a more meaningful and economic way.

We used the 4x4 to create a job opening for an official driver for the town. This, along with the free home offered by Valdelinares, could be used to attract a family with children. Now the story needed to be told to the media. We did it giving the materials the epic quality they needed.

In Spain, Skoda's awareness index is very low (23% in 2014), and its consideration level is below the top ten for automotive brands (17th place). A qualitative study revealed that the primary reason for rejection was consumer perception that it's "a foreign brand that's not for me."

Objective: give Skoda a more human and local face, and position the Scout 4x4 as a relevant car for the target market: families with children. We decided to sponsor a social cause that was also a symbol of a problem affecting the entire country.

640 families with children applied to live in Valdelinares.

A family of five from Valencia was chosen to save the town.

The news generated a total of 1.032.547€'s worth of publicity. Highlights included airings on the country's highest-rated morning show on TVE1, and the overall highest-rated show in Spain, "Sálvame" on Tele 5.

This led to significant increases in brand consideration and awareness, as well as in sales compared with the previous year:

• +25% brand recognition

• +2% brand consideration

• 21% increase in Skoda's sales

The campaign helped increase awareness of Valdelinares, with an 83% increase in Google searches and a 10% increase in tourism.

During the winter of 2015, two more towns used this initiative to save themselves from abandonment: Gòsol and Prat del Compte.

On September 15 we launched various pieces: a spot starring the 70 residents of Valdelinares, which functioned as a call to action without revealing the underlying problem. On the same date, we launched the website to go more in depth into life in the village and to get to know its residents. We sent out a press release announcing the launch of the campaign.

On October 1 we called a press conference to launch the documentary, which explained the background as well as the social cause. Besides the publicity it generated in print and digital media, two top-rated television channels turned it into content for various programs and aired the spot: TVE1 (a non-commercial channel) and Tele 5. They were joined by RTVE Aragón and TV de Aragón.

The third contact was made in April 2015, when the new family moved in, saving the school.

In Spain there are more than 3,000 abandoned towns. Each year, 100 more are abandoned. Valdelinares was on the verge of being in this situation. Eighty years ago, 1,470 people lived there. Now there are 70. They endure subzero temperatures all year long. There is no pharmacy, supermarket or healthcare center. In September of 2014, the school ran the risk of closing, forcing entire families to leave, which would condemn the town to abandonment. Skoda decided to popularize itself in the Spanish market by helping the town using its new Skoda Scout 4x4.

Our campaign was directed at the core target market: middle and lower-middle class families with children. But thanks to the free publicity it received in the highest-audience mainstream media (TVE1/Tele5), the campaign spread, reaching multiple segments of society.

We turned the Skoda Scout 4x4 into a job opportunity for an official driver for the town. With the offer of a car and home in place, we shot a documentary to explain Valdelinares' history and the problem it faced. A call to action to find a family. We chose the media: mainstream, with social or automotive content, and television programs directed at our target.

We also launched a spot starring the 70 residents, and developed a website so that people could learn about life in the village and get to know its people.

The campaign was extended until the beginning of the year with the new family's move to Valdelinares.