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.
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)
© Lionell Schuring, 2026