One of the stupidest new spectator sports is grafittiing cocks and balls onto the men’s Tour de France race route. Organisers have even had to recruit a team try to paint over the markings before they’re captured by the world’s press reporting on the race. But this year, FCB London and Tour de France sponsor, Škoda, made them useful instead – adding some flourishes that turned them into OOH ads for the women’s cycling for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Ads that can reach a TV audience of over 3.5 billion, bringing more attention to the women’s race.
Škoda and FCB London brought together a team of female artists who will drive around the course in a special support car – which will become Škoda’s 221st support car in the race – to convert the giant cocks and balls at Stage 19 in the mountains into eye-catching designs that are impossible to ignore.
The new artworks by feminist French illustrator, Cecile Dormeau, and London illustrator, Erin Aniker, incorporate the classic penis graffiti into unignorable visual statements that celebrate cycling and draw attention to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Each artwork will feature #WatchTheFemmes, the official hashtag of the women’s race, to encourage cycling fans worldwide to watch the race.
“When we heard about the penis graffiti that is painted on the course, we saw it as an opportunity to do something bold and disruptive to motivate the Tour’s global audience to sit up and take notice of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift,” stated Owen Lee, chief creative officer at FCB London. “By turning the penises into a conversation starter, we’re not only helping the organisers out, but celebrating cycling and getting more people to #WatchTheFemmes.”
Credits:
Lead Agency: FCB London
Local Agency: Change, an FCB alliance
Chief Creative Officer: Owen Lee
Executive Creative Director & Creative Partner: Kyle Harman-Turner
Chief Strategy Officer: Ben Jaffé
Head of Strategy: Tom Lindo
Account Management: Mason Cooksley & Phoebe Newman
Senior Producer: Livvy Tidd
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Uk X Revolver
Director: Maria Sosa Betancor X Glue Society
Producer: Tom Birmingham
Executive Producer: Daisy Mellors, Katie Keith
Production Manager: Georgia Stamp
Service Company: La\Pac
Executive Producer: Jérôme Denis
Art Studio: Global Street Art
Media Planning & Buying: PhD
