ENECO
DUTCH HEADWIND
CHAMPIONSHIP
Background
Eneco wanted to show its commitment to sustainability in a way that felt real and not just another corporate campaign about green energy.
Our challenge: how do you make people actually feel the power of wind?
WORK
The Netherlands is a cycling country, but there’s one thing every Dutch cyclist dreads: a brutal headwind. Instead of avoiding it, we decided to turn it into a sport.
So, we created the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championship. A race where people battle the elements on a standard single-speed omafiets (no fancy racing bikes, just old-school Dutch city bikes).
For the location we chose The Oosterscheldekering, a storm surge barrier in Zeeland and one of the windiest places in the country. If the wind wasn’t strong enough (at least 7 Bft), the event was postponed.
Impact
What started as a wild idea became a yearly tradition with its 8th edition in 2024.
Eneco didn’t just talk about wind energy—they made people fight the wind firsthand.
€8.8 million in earned media coverage, with over 20,000 publications in national and international press, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Fox News.
Awarded with a Silver ADCN Award (Activation Marketing) and Bronze Esprix (Telecom & Utilities)
Taking the wind
to the people
We also built the Headwind Machine, a truck with industrial fans and drove it through city streets. Any cyclist who ended up behind it got an unexpected preview of what was coming in the real race.
