Colas Ísland: ¡Hola!
Colas Ísland needed to address severe public frustration regarding deteriorating Icelandic roads. They engaged Pipar/TBWA to shift the narrative away from corporate blame and toward a solution-oriented partnership. The goal was to pressure the government into increasing infrastructure funding while improving brand perception among frustrated drivers, turning a national nuisance into a collaborative, data-driven effort.
Creative Idea
A Spanish character greeted potholes, turning a linguistic pun into a national repair movement.
Colas Ísland turned public frustration into a viral movement by using a linguistic coincidence where the Spanish greeting '¡Hola!' sounds like the Icelandic word for pothole, allowing them to playfully 'greet' road damage and force government action through community engagement.
Turning A National Pothole Crisis Into Gold
The Linguistic Spark That Ignited Change
The campaign hinged on a clever phonetic overlap where the Spanish greeting "¡Hola!" mirrors the Icelandic word for pothole. By casting actor Juan Camilo Román Estrada as the eccentric Nicolas, the team transformed a defensive corporate stance into a disarming, humorous narrative. Directed by Thora Hilmarsdottir and produced by SKOT Productions, the production navigated Iceland’s rugged volcanic landscapes to film the character’s cheerful interactions with road damage.
From Viral Jokes To Real Infrastructure
Beyond the screen, the campaign utilized "Holukortið" (Pothole Map), an interactive reporting system that turned citizens into active scouts. This data-driven approach allowed Colas Ísland to present real-time repair needs to municipal authorities. The strategy proved so effective that it pressured the government to increase national infrastructure budgets. CEO Sigþór Sigurðsson confirmed that the initiative directly boosted sales figures and shifted public perception of road crews from traffic-blocking nuisances to essential community heroes.
Beyond The Asphalt Roller
The project extended into physical media with the "Ónýtuvegahandbókin" (Ruined Roads Guidebook), a tongue-in-cheek publication that mapped the country's worst asphalt failures. The campaign even fostered community creativity through "Pothole Poetry" contests and a street art exhibition, "¡Hola! Götulist", which raised funds for the Grensás Rehabilitation Center. Copywriter Kristján Gauti Karlsson noted that the concept nearly faced cancellation before the team committed to the bold, disruptive "¡Hola!" direction. This "flawpop" marketing approach successfully reframed a corporate liability into a collaborative, nationwide solution.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Colas possessed the technical expertise and equipment to fix the nation's crumbling road infrastructure.
Category
Road maintenance firms typically remain silent or defensive when faced with public criticism regarding infrastructure decay.
Customer
Icelandic drivers felt ignored and frustrated by the government's failure to address dangerous, pothole-ridden roads.
Culture
The phonetic overlap between a common greeting and a local word for pothole created a perfect viral hook.
Company
Colas possessed the technical expertise and equipment to fix the nation's crumbling road infrastructure.
Category
Road maintenance firms typically remain silent or defensive when faced with public criticism regarding infrastructure decay.
Strategy:
Transform a public grievance into a collaborative, humorous movement to force systemic change.
Customer
Icelandic drivers felt ignored and frustrated by the government's failure to address dangerous, pothole-ridden roads.
Culture
The phonetic overlap between a common greeting and a local word for pothole created a perfect viral hook.
Strategy:
Transform a public grievance into a collaborative, humorous movement to force systemic change.
Results
The campaign achieved remarkable results in a country of 400,000 people. It generated 4.1M views on social media and 58 press articles with a reach of over 2.5 million people. Colas experienced a 36.3% increase in brand awareness. Online registration of potholes on the public map increased by 115%. Most significantly, the campaign secured 20,000,000 € in government funding in just one month, with Colas hired for the job. This led to a 54% revenue growth for Colas during Q3/Q4 of 2025 and a campaign ROI of 1742%. Additionally, an additional 37,000,000 € budget increase was approved by the Icelandic government for 2026 road maintenance.
20M €
government funding secured in one month
1742%
campaign ROI
54%
Colas revenue growth
Strategy Technique
Turn Weakness Into Strength
Colas reframed their role from an inconvenient road-maintenance company to a proactive, witty ally. By owning the pothole crisis, they turned a brand vulnerability into a powerful, award-winning asset.
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Creative Technique
Lean Into the Problem
The campaign embraces the brand's biggest liability—potholes—by turning them into a character-driven joke. This transforms public annoyance into a shared, humorous cultural moment.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's brilliance lies in its exceptional copywriting and experiential design, turning a dry infrastructure issue into a viral cultural moment through a simple, bilingual pun.
The entire campaign is built on a brilliant linguistic pun (Hola/Hola) that perfectly bridges a local frustration with a universally understood greeting.
Creating a physical, interactive movement where citizens actively participated in mapping potholes by 'greeting' them turned a passive public into active advocates.
Strategically leveraging a quirky character to gain massive earned media across national TV, radio, and social platforms without a massive ad spend.
The bright yellow speech-bubble signs created an instantly recognizable, highly photogenic visual asset that popped against the grey Icelandic asphalt.
“The magic comes from how the clever copywriting (the 'Hola' pun) was seamlessly translated into a physical, experiential stunt that the public could easily participate in.”
