Why Chevrolet Ditched LATAM Football Shirt Sponsors in Favour of Bicycles

Latin American cities are being impacted by the highest traffic congestion. On International Car Free Day, Chevrolet and Commonwealth//McCann Santiago aimed to raise awareness around the responsible use of cars with 'The day Chevrolet supported another vehicle'. 

Chevrolet, as the main sponsor of two of the most important soccer teams of Chile and Ecuador - Universidad de Chile and Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito - switched its sponsorship logos on the teams' shirts to that of a bicycle, eoncouraging spectators to consider it as a means of transportation. 

“In our purpose to help our clients’ brands to play a meaningful role in people's life, we seek to provide creative ideas that cause an important impact in audiences of Chevrolet,” says José Ignacio Solari, CCO of McCann Santiago. “Through campaigns like this, we motivate brand strategies with purpose, which generates a positive popular culture for the sustainability of all as a society”.

The project came about as Chile discusses new laws around vehicle ownership and ways to encourage more environmentally sustainable city models.

Supported by #DíaMundialSinAuto(#InternationalCarFreeDay), it achieved +73% positive references, +25mm prints in all the region, U$870.000 earned media. Where public figures from government of each country highlighted the initiative by Chevrolet and the soccer players of both teams joined organically to take the initiative forward into their own social networks.