After a decade with Škoda India, how is BBH reimagining the brand’s story?

Škoda Auto India is marking its 25-year journey in the country with an integrated campaign titled Fans, Not Owners. Team Drive, Publicis Groupe India's bespoke unit for the brand, under the creative leadership of BBH India, is responsible for the work.

For Paritosh Srivastava, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi India, BBH India and Saatchi Propagate, the campaign reflects how a decade-long relationship with Škoda has evolved into a collaborative partnership spanning creative, digital and technology.  

The campaign revolves around Doda, a short film that tells the story of a young girl who mispronounces the name of her favourite toy, which happens to be her parents’ Škoda car.

ŠKODA AUTO officially started its India operations by importing the first model, the ŠKODA Octavia, in 2001 and launched production in the country a year later, in 2002. In 2012, Škoda Auto India appointed BBH as its advertising agency. The agency has since been tasked with developing the creative communications strategy for the brand in India.

Another film, soon to be released, continues the narrative through the eyes of a child, highlighting the 'pride and imagination' that young fans associate with the brand.

Srivastava says the idea was the result of a joint exercise between the agency and the client. “Usually, 25-year milestones tend to become legacy-driven campaigns that delve too much into the past through nostalgia. We wanted to avoid that and instead create a contemporary narrative that celebrates the affection people have for Škoda,” he explains.

The platform Fans, Not Owners is rooted in two long-standing observations. “Most Škoda owners drive their cars far longer than others, and they tend to upgrade within the brand more than any other badge. These truths have been around for decades but had never been called out,” Srivastava says.

The brand holds a market share of roughly 2% in India's highly competitive passenger vehicle market, but has been bullish on gaining ground in the country. The automaker recently launched its Kodiaq SUV in April 2025 and the compact SUV Kylaq in October 2024. The new campaign comes ahead of the launch of the performance-focused Skoda Octavia RS, scheduled for launch on October 17, 2025. So, it remains to be seen how the brand is going to go about its advertising between celebrating its history and the new launch.

Extending the idea across platforms

The campaign was rolled out on multiple touchpoints. A teaser on social media saw the child protagonist take over Škoda India’s Instagram handle. In Mumbai, select dealerships temporarily replaced the Škoda logo with ‘Doda’.

“This word began appearing everywhere before the first film launched, creating curiosity that tied back to the campaign once the film was out,” Srivastava recalls.

The films are designed to be playful and vibrant, avoiding the nostalgia that typically accompanies anniversary campaigns.

“We wanted to use the 25 years as a marker to look ahead, not backwards. That is why we chose children as the voice; they embody imagination and the sense of belonging,” he says.

From creative mandate to integrated partnership

According to Srivastava, the relationship between Škoda and BBH began as a creative mandate but has grown significantly.

“Today it is an integrated mandate that includes creative, digital, social, technological and performance. It sits under Team Drive, a multidisciplinary unit within the Publicis Groupe structure that works exclusively on Škoda,” he notes.

This model allows for co-creation rather than a traditional client-agency exchange. “We work as one team, making real-time adjustments and multiplying ideas as they go live. It creates a highly engaged and responsive relationship,” Srivastava says.

Balancing creative identity and client needs

On whether BBH seeks to maintain a creative signature, Srivastava is clear.

“The brand must leave the mark, not the agency. Our job is to be in service of the brand. Of course, sensibilities of the team show up in the work, but the priority is always the brand’s personality and its audience,” he says.

Working across varied categories, from automotive to jewellery, allows BBH to adapt and experiment. “Insights from one sector often apply to another. It helps strengthen creativity and problem-solving capabilities,” he adds.

Srivastava highlights the swift transformation of the ad world, where AI, data, and fragmentation are transforming the conception of campaigns.

“AI is already part of our daily work, not only in creating campaigns but also in structuring solutions. We approach it with experimentation and first principles, knowing that tools change constantly, but the learning remains,” he says.

This shift also influences hiring. “Earlier we had copywriters; now we may need prompt writers. More broadly, we look for people who are multi-skilled but who also go deep into one area. Someone who can edit, write, shoot, co-create with AI and engage with culture is far more valuable in today’s context,” he explains.

Srivastava adds that BBH’s broader ambition is to evolve beyond being seen only as a creative agency. “Our vision is to move towards becoming a fast-growing creative company, one that collaborates across disciplines to create opportunities for brands in different contexts,” he says.

A relationship shaped by collaboration

For Škoda, the 25-year milestone signals both expansion and renewed legitimacy in India. For BBH, it demonstrates how an agency-client relationship can grow into a collaborative model that is designed to serve long-term business goals.

“Škoda now stands at an important moment in its journey. The task for us is to capture that reality, and with Fans, Not Owners we are building a platform that does so in a way that looks forward rather than back,” Srivastava says.