The Objective: Car company Škoda had two goals in mind when promoting its newest offering, the Fabia: one, demonstrate the spaciousness of the Fabia’s cabin; and two, spread awareness about the car among young people looking to purchase their first vehicle.
The How: Enter the Škoda Hostel—an in-car hostel complete with double bed, comfy bedding, Wi-Fi, and branded Do Not Disturb signs for the doors. A bathroom was located next to the car. Created by Proximity Russia, part of BBDO Russia Group, the hostel’s home base was Izmaiolovo Park, one of Moscow’s most bucolic and verdant outdoor spaces. Proximity partnered with accommodation website Tripping.com so that every time a person searched for places to stay in Moscow, the Škoda Hostel would come up as an option.
The Creative: Guests who stayed there could only pay with likes, shares, or tweets, thus generating earned media and positive brand sentiment. Actual money was not accepted. Visitors were also able to take the car they were staying in out for a spin, which essentially turned every stay into a de facto test drive.
The Results: The car/hostel was fully booked through the activation, receiving more than 300 requests during the first 24-hours alone, though only 17 lucky guests got a chance to stay in one for the night. The initiative was mentioned in more than 150 publications, reaching an audience of roughly 350,000 people.
Customer View: Feedback from guests was 100% positive, with one proclaiming the Škoda Hostel to be “better than Ritz-Carlton,” while another said, “I will soon buy a car, and I am considering the Škoda.”
