At London’s Waterloo station, one long “Šhhhhhhhhhh” stretches across advertising surfaces. The same sound greets audiences in cinemas, appears alongside television dramas and fits into moments at stadiums when spectators might be asked to remain quiet. However, the message here does not serve only to silence the space. It says the name of a car brand.
Škoda UK launched the Šhhhkoda campaign in late July, turning the correct pronunciation of the brand’s name into the foundation of an entire communication system. The idea was developed by Leo UK, starting from the háček above the letter Š, a diacritical mark that forms part of Škoda’s Czech identity but has rarely played a leading role in its advertising until now.
Instead of offering a conventional explanation that the name is not pronounced with an “s”, the campaign uses the reaction that usually follows when people hear the correct pronunciation for the first time. They repeat it, emphasise the opening sound and extend it into “shhhh”. Škoda turned that repetition into an idea audiences can immediately understand and imitate.
In outdoor advertising, the háček is no longer simply a mark above the letter. It extends together with the sound and enters messages such as Šhhmart, Šhhpacious and Šhhtylish. In this way, a single linguistic detail is used to present the vehicles’ practical features, spaciousness and design, without separating product characteristics from the brand name.
The ads were placed at Waterloo station, along the Elizabeth Line escalators and at other digital locations across London. The extended “Šhhhh” was adapted to the width of screens, passageways and station surfaces, meaning the appearance of the message changes depending on the space in which it appears. Media planning and buying were handled by PHD.
The campaign’s central film begins with people encountering the pronunciation “Šhhhkoda”, which then passes from one person to another. Instead of building the story around a single driver or car model, the film follows the spread of the word itself. Each new repetition extends the sound and continues the chain, while the expressions Šmart, Špacious and Štylish also enter the story. Alongside the 60-second version, 30 and six-second formats were produced.
On social media, the wordplay gained a more direct connection to the cars. Content for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn showcases storage solutions, available space, practical details and the design of different models from Škoda’s range. The campaign also included print, PR, influencer activity and partnerships.
A special role was given to media moments in which “shhh” already has a familiar function. In cinemas and as part of Škoda’s sponsorship of ITV Showcase Drama, the message acts as a polite request for audiences to quiet down, while simultaneously recalling the brand’s name. The idea was also used in bespoke idents for ITVX, while versions for linear television were announced for later in the year.
Kirsten Stagg, Marketing Director at Škoda UK, explained that the letter Š has always belonged to the brand’s identity, but had not previously been given enough space. In this campaign, it connects the company’s Czech origins with messages about the cars that Škoda wants to make easier to remember.
For Graham Lakeland, Creative Director at Leo UK, the task was not to find yet another way to list the vehicles’ qualities. The idea had to give audiences something they could say, repeat and pass on themselves.
In this way, a mark most people would notice only when reading more carefully became the rule governing the entire campaign. The háček moved beyond its place above the letter, expanded across media surfaces and gave Škoda a sound that is difficult to read without saying it aloud.
