There is no official Women’s Tour de France, but in 2019 13 women rode it anyway, a day ahead of the professional men, and they were supported by Skoda in a campaign was essentially a defiant demand for equality.
The objective was to prove that it was possible, to debunk the critics and the naysayers, to ignite discussion and to set the stage for change to happen and for the gender gap in cycling to close.
This was a brave move, particularly considering that Škoda has been an official sponsor the Tour De France for the last 15 years.
Indeed, the initiative came from a search for a fresh idea to demonstrate their long-standing support of cycling and briefed agency Fallon to create an innovative, forward facing idea.
After the auto brand told the agency it couldn’t fulfill the creative agency’s original idea to ‘make bikes out of the cars traded in on the Diesel Scrappage Scheme’, the team’s thinking turned to the fact that even in 2017, the official Tour De France could only be ridden by men.
Women have been fighting to ride the Tour since 1955, so the agency encouraged Škoda to rally behind the cause and give the same support the brand usually gives to the official Tour De France to 13 women who planned to cycle all 21 stages – starting exactly 24-hours prior.
Skoda and the agency team selected a team of 13 women to ride all 21 stages – covering the entire 3,351 km of the 2019 Tour de France – one day ahead of the professional male cyclists.
They were joined along the way by hundreds of people that cycled with them in person, and hundreds of thousands more who cheered them on online.
Skoda supported them with equipment and also promoted their journey to the world through TV, social platforms, online videos and PR effort.
The press campaign featured amateur female cyclists from all different forms of cycling and paired strong imagery with powerful copy.
Tour des Femmes – Case Study from Ronaldo Tavares on Vimeo.
The campaign was created by agency Fallon London and Production Company Exell, London with CCO Chaka Sobhani, Agency Producer Katie Spong, CDs Ronaldo Tavares, Ricardo Motti and Loriley Sessions, Creative Charlotte Prince, Client Partner Carolyn Cho, Account Director Max De Rohan Willner, Director Josh Exell (Exell), DoP Josh Exell.
Comment:
We love cycling, we love Le Tour and we love this campaign too.
Among other awards, the initiative won a Silver Entertainment Lion For Sport 2019 and a Silver Glass Lion 2019 at Cannes Lions 2019, as well as Gold at The Andy’s Awards 2019 and it was shortlisted at D&AD 2019 and at the Campaign Big Awards and earned a merit at The One Show 2019.
Links:
Tour des Femmes
https://www.letourdefemme.org/
Skoda
http://bit.ly/skodaforcyclists
https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/tour-de-france-2017/
https://www.instagram.com/wlcmagazine/
https://www.facebook.com/SkodaCycling
https://www.pinterest.com/we_love_cycling/
https://www.youtube.com/user/skodacycling
Fallon London
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