Shell asked Edelman to generate conversations and coverage for their premium fuel Shell V-Power across 4 countries: Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the Philippines. We decided to take the approach of peer-to-peer storytelling and have everyday people tell the story for us. And so it all began: the Shell V-Power Network of Champions. A community of 22 independent influencers from 4 countries on a journey together - a journey not only for them, but also for Shell. A journey to find out openly and first-hand how all fuels are not the same and how Shell V-Power makes a difference not only for Ferrari, but also for your fifteen year old Vauxhall.

The combination of physical experiences and hands-on interactive engagement, with unprecedented virtual access for Shell’s readers and followers to experts across the globe (whether through Twitter or video Q&As) established an overwhelming bank of content and coverage, but also a heart-warming community feel.And 2011 was only the start. With the ‘Champions'’ support the community will continue to grow sharing more stories and co-create compelling content.

So we brought together 22 ‘Champions’ from the UK, Philippines, Netherlands and Germany and over the year gave them unprecedented access to Shell and Ferrari’s expertise. They offered the Champions a once-in-a-lifetime experiences and were available non-stop to help create content and provide insights and answers to their (networks’) questions.

Through creative and experiential engagement - virtually, at fuels labs, at Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello and at the Formula One GP - we brought to life the Shell V-Power story, generating word-of-mouth recommendations in a fun and uniquely engaging way.In 2011 the Champions took part in a social media workshop, blended their own race fuel, analysed lubricants from Alonso’s race car in the Shell F1 Paddock Track Lab, experienced how complicated it is to build an engine, had access to some amazing spokespeople, hosted Twitter conversations and posted reader-generated content, and drove a Ferrari around Fiorano Track in Maranello, Italy.

• More than 2,250 posts on blogs and social media in only 9 months, 99.9% of which were positive;• Proven readership and content views by a global audience, spanning across the US, Australia, India, Indonesia, South-Africa and Europe; • An impressive bank of photographic and video (co-)created content, across the Champions’ platforms;• More than 200 retweets of key message, with many prominently featuring Shell V-Power’s proof points;• A successfully built community of influencers who still actively keep in touch and share thoughts and experiences on a daily/weekly basis across the international network – having become true friends; • Arming the champions with expertise and positive experiences stimulated them to voluntarily regulate inaccurate critical conversations online; • We obtained some tangible consumer insights in local content preferences, storyline resonance and social media usage;• The campaign realised a major culture shift for Shell whilst implementing a ground-breaking approach for the oil industry as a whole.