Škoda Turns Penises into Promotion for Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

Škoda, one of the main partners of the Tour de France, and FCB London are turning penis graffiti into an OOH platform to promote the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Every year, hundreds of penises are graffitied onto the race route during the men’s Tour de France. It’s a constant battle for organisers who have employed a dedicated team to try to paint over the markings before they’re captured by the world’s press reporting on the race.

But this year, Škoda - a partner that currently supplies up to 220 fully electric or plug-in hybrid support cars across the men’s and women’s races - is utilising these ‘artistic expressions’ as a new OOH site to promote the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a thrilling nine-stage race which takes place immediately after the men’s race to the 3rd August.

With the Tour de France attracting an impressive cumulative TV audience of over 3.5 billion, there is a significant opportunity to leverage the Tour's global platform and bring more attention to the women's race. To do this, Škoda and FCB London have deployed 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 penises at Stage 19 in the mountains into eye-catching designs that are impossible to ignore.

Painted by feminist French illustrator Cecile Dormeau and London-based illustrator Erin Aniker, the artworks cleverly incorporates the saucy scribblings to turn them into bold 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.

“Having started our journey in 1895 as a bicycle manufacturer, cycling is in our DNA. And this year, as we celebrate our 130th year, it’s especially meaningful to support the Tour, and see our fourth consecutive year as the main official partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the world’s most prestigious women’s cycling race,” said Meredith Kelly, global head of marketing at Škoda. “With this bold visual statement, we’re turning an unwanted problem into a powerful opportunity to promote women’s cycling — and what better platform to do so than by infiltrating the 3.5 billion-strong viewership of the Tour de France, to encourage cycling fans of all genders to watch the women’s race,” she continued.

“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,” added 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,” he continued.

Media planning and buying was handled by PhD and Global Street Art handled the artists.

Now in its fourth year, the 2025 edition of the Tour de France Femmes will take place from Saturday July 26th to Sunday August 3rd, 2025. 22 teams with over 150 riders will take part in this year’s race, with the women’s peloton battling it out over nine stages (1,165km) from Vannes to Châtel for the coveted maillot jaune.