Škoda Ireland has unveiled a new campaign centred on a three-metre-long handcrafted tapestry depicting around 50 stories, landmarks and moments from Irish life.
Created by Boys + Girls as part of the brand’s “Let’s Explore” platform, “The Tapestry for Ireland” was produced in collaboration with Meath-based fabric and textile artist Eileen McNulty.
Rather than using a conventional TV commercial as the centrepiece of the campaign, Škoda commissioned McNulty to create a 3m x 1m hand-sewn artwork designed to represent the different people, cultures, places and experiences that make up modern Ireland.
The finished tapestry took 637 hours to create and incorporates more than 48 different fabrics, including Irish linen and tweed, as well as approximately 7.5km of thread.
Around 50 individual stories and references are woven into the artwork, ranging from ancient Irish history to contemporary life.
Among them are Newgrange and its Neolithic entrance-stone artwork, swimmers jumping from Blackrock diving board and Pope Francis being driven in a Škoda during his visit to Ireland in 2018. Other details include traditional stone walls, GAA jerseys and Škoda headlights.
The campaign’s audiovisual element documents McNulty’s creation of the tapestry and the techniques involved in producing the work.
The tapestry itself will also be displayed at the Skybridge advertising location in Dublin Airport, while close-up images from the artwork will feature across OOH and DOOH sites around the country.
Ciara Breen, marketing manager at Škoda Ireland, said the campaign was intended to reflect the brand’s long-standing relationship with Irish consumers.
“Over the years, Škoda has grown alongside Ireland, becoming part of countless family journeys, everyday moments and milestones,” she said.
“The Tapestry for Ireland celebrates that enduring relationship and the people, places and experiences that have shaped our success here.”
Jake O’Driscoll, creative director at Boys + Girls, said the creative idea was based on the diversity of the stories that make up Ireland.
“Ireland can’t be captured by one landmark, one tradition or one version of what it means to be Irish. It’s made up of thousands of stories woven together,” he said.
“This campaign allowed us to turn that thought into something real: a piece that celebrates the richness of Ireland and Škoda’s own place within it.”
McNulty said the commission required her to move beyond many of the themes normally associated with her work.
“This tapestry challenged me to work in a completely new way. My practice is usually rooted in folklore, imagined landscapes and the more mystical side of Ireland, whereas this piece brought together real places, modern life and stories from across the country,” she said.
“Finding a way to include all of that while still making it feel unmistakably mine is what makes the finished work so meaningful to me.”
Credits
Agency: Boys + Girls
Chief Creative Officer: Rory Hamilton
Creative Director: Jake O’Driscoll
Copywriter: Jess Murphy
Art Director: Jessie Newman
Executive Relationship Director: Caroline Keogh
Senior Account Manager: Sára Benko
Senior Account Executive: Conor Roche
Producer: Derek Doyle
Senior Strategist: Shaunagh Farrelly
Head of Operations: Lauren McNinney
Senior Designer: Maxi McDonnell
Circle Content
Director: Ciarán Dooley
Editor: Connor Farrelley
Managing Director: Alan McQuaid
EXP
Experiential Project Manager: Lara Wasson
Managing Director: Sarah Sherry
Client: Škoda Ireland
Marketing Manager: Ciara Breen
Brand Director: John Donegan
Head of Marketing & Product: Raymond Leddy
Digital Marketing Manager: Lisa Cunningham
Digital Manager: Edmund Ramirez
Digital Specialist: Anthony Ramirez
Additional Production Partners
Photographer: Harry Rhys-Thomas
Sound Mix: Blast Audio
Sound Engineer: Will Farrell
