Proximity Barcelona

Client: Skoda Spain
Product: Automobile
Title: Amaxophobia
Media: TV, Social Media, Cinema, Digital
Country: Spain
Date Of Campaign: From October 2018 to November 2018

Background: In Spain, almost the 30% of drivers feel fear or anxiety while driving. For the 7% of drivers, the fear is so intense that they are unable of sitting behind the wheel. This uncontrollable fear is called ‘amaxophobia’. ŠKODA has defined its positioning around the idea that a car is a place to live good experiences, without worrying, all under the question ‘What’s the point of having a car?’. That’s why the brand wanted to launch a project to raise awareness of amaxophobia, and help people who suffer from it, assuring they can start living good experiences in cars.ŠKODA became the first brand in the world to raise awareness on a phobia related to cars, raising awareness on this disorder, and also helping people suffering it to overcome the phobia.

Idea: Halloween has always been a moment to talk about fears. That’s why ŠKODA chose this moment to raise awareness about a phobia that a lot of people suffer from (most of them in silence), but still unknown for the majority of society. Using the codes of horror films, the brand launched an online ad that explained how some people can feel about driving, presenting the car as a terrifying villain: a monster. The ad was broadcasted on social media, YouTube and also on TV and cinema. Posts that showed the cars as monsters and another content were also created to raise awareness about the phobia.Through the website www.skodacontralaamaxofobia.es, ŠKODA delivered information about the phobia, invited to join the conversation using the hashtag #VenceALaAmaxofobia (#DefeatAmaxophobia) and, in cooperation with Fundación CEA, a specialized organization, offered free courses addressed to the people who suffer from this phobia. In these courses, people could learn, with the help of psychologists and ŠKODA cars, how to face stress situations and drive on a closed circuit.Several free courses in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Seville were taught.

Results: The campaign’s main goal was relevant to the local market and increased brand notoriety. ŠKODA seeks to increase notoriety through initiatives and projects that, instead of focusing on specific models, increase knowledge of its “Cars are for living” position and provide it with a deeper meaning. The available slots were fully booked after just 48 h and the requested courses multiplied our goal by tenfold. The searches for “amaxophobia” increased by 80% during the campaign and, at the same time, hundreds of people used social media to admit they suffered from this phobia and many stated that, for the first time ever, they were able to name it.Over 150 media outlets shared the campaign, both on domestic and international levels, including Directory, Ad Forum and Contagious. It was also featured in a prime time Catalonian TV program called APM with maximum audience. Thanks to this publicity, we achieved 3,654,000 impacts, which resulted in an earned media of €262,800.Main KPIs achieved during the campaign:• Social Media: 1.95M video views and a 19% engagement.• TV: +23M impacts. • Movie theaters: +1M viewers.