Jizerská 50 | Czech Republic
After more than five years as a sponsor of Jizerská 50, Orlen moved beyond logo visibility and into full-scale brand experience. In 2021, the partnership evolved into a comprehensive 360° activation - turning one of Europe’s most iconic cross-country ski races into a tangible brand touchpoint.
Task
Maximize the value of Orlen’s long-term sponsorship of Jizerská 50 by transforming it into an integrated communication and on-site experience. The goal was to reinforce Orlen as a proud supporter of Czech sport, increase brand interaction with racers and spectators, and introduce the Orlen mobile app through meaningful, value-driven engagement.
Challenge
The biggest challenge was time. The project landed on my desk just six weeks before race day.
Within that window, we needed to:
Brief and onboard the event agency
Develop a compelling Orlen Zone concept for the race village
Coordinate with the media agency on a full communication plan
Launch social media and app-based activations — all under extreme time pressure
Execution
Despite the tight timeline, we delivered a complete 360° activation — on time and fully integrated.
In the pre-event phase, we activated the partnership across social media, positioning Orlen as a key part of Jizerská 50 and inviting audiences to engage with Orlen Benzina Race and Orlen Sprint initiatives.
The Orlen app became the core engagement tool:
App users could exchange loyalty points for exclusive Jizerská 50 merchandise
Registered race participants received bonus points upon enrollment
On-site visitors who joined winter-themed activations in the Orlen Zone were rewarded with extra app points redeemable for a free coffee at Orlen petrol stations on their journey home
At the race village, the Orlen Zone offered winter-focused activities designed for both elite racers and spectators - seamlessly connecting sport, entertainment, and digital engagement.
Results
Most visited brand zone in the entire race village
Jizerská 50 merchandise fully redeemed via the app within one day
Record number of coffees sold at the nearest Orlen petrol station during the event
Jizerská 50 showed how a mature sponsorship can be reimagined into a powerful brand ecosystem — combining sport, digital loyalty, and real-world activation to drive both emotional connection and measurable business results.
