Skoda Auto India and BBH India have unveiled ‘Mind Drive,’ a hypnosis-led experience that lets fans imagine driving the sold-out Octavia RS. Created with hypnotherapist Danish Sheikh, the immersive journey recreates the car’s sensations, extending the brand’s ‘Heartbreak’ campaign and deepening emotional engagement with the cult-favourite performance sedan.
Skoda Auto India’s bond with its most passionate community has always been a story of excitement, emotion, and a shared love for performance engineering. But with the overwhelming demand for the newly returned Octavia RS—sold out in just 20 minutes—the story has also included heartbreak for many fans who could not reserve one. Now, in a distinctly unconventional move, Skoda and BBH India are channeling that disappointment into a new kind of connection, one that blends technology, psychology, and creativity. The result is “Mind Drive,” a hypnosis-led experience that invites fans to feel the thrill of driving the Octavia RS without ever touching the steering wheel.
For car lovers, the Octavia RS is more than a machine—it is a nameplate that represents speed, precision, and a certain cult-like loyalty that few sedans in India command. The RS badge carries with it years of motorsport-inspired engineering and a sense of exclusivity that has shaped its legendary status. So, when the limited units sold out almost instantly, it was clear that many long-time admirers had to come to terms with missing out. Skoda, noticing the collective disappointment reverberating through its fandom, sought a way to acknowledge that passion in a manner that would feel personal, immersive, and undeniably emotional.
Enter hypnosis. In collaboration with BBH India, Skoda has crafted a guided multi-sensory journey that allows fans to imagine the rush of driving the Octavia RS. The ‘Mind Drive’ experience was created with the expertise of renowned hypnotherapist Danish Sheikh, whose role was pivotal in shaping how imagination can mimic sensation. Through carefully structured guidance, participants are led into a relaxed yet vividly receptive state. From there, they begin to feel the heartbeat of the car’s engine, sense the surge of acceleration, and vividly picture the rhythm of the road beneath them. The idea is not simply to imagine the drive, but to emotionally inhabit it.
This initiative builds on the momentum of Skoda and BBH India’s earlier “Heartbreak” campaign—a narrative-driven exploration of car lovers’ affection for the Octavia RS and the emotional jolt of not being able to own it. ‘Heartbreak’ blended storytelling with sensory touches; ‘Mind Drive’ pushes that idea deeper by situating the experience inside the mind itself. It is, in many ways, a continuation of the brand’s intent to elevate marketing beyond visuals and words, moving into a realm where emotional connection becomes a tangible experience.
The use of hypnosis in automotive marketing is not common, and that is exactly why ‘Mind Drive’ stands out. It reaches into a psychological space, offering fans a personal, introspective encounter rather than a digital simulation or a flashy promotional content piece. It taps into the growing fascination with mindfulness, guided meditation, and sensory exploration that has gained prominence among younger audiences. Instead of replicating the car’s performance in a virtual environment or showcasing it through augmented reality, Skoda focuses on the mind’s powerful ability to build its own version of reality.
Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Skoda Auto India, sees this initiative as a natural extension of the brand’s philosophy of listening to its community. He describes the Octavia RS as an iconic nameplate that has nurtured a strong cult following over the years—one that responded overwhelmingly to its reintroduction. Gupta speaks of the emotional bond enthusiasts share with the RS, a connection strong enough that missing out on a booking felt like a personal loss for many. “‘Mind Drive’ recognises that passion,” he explains. It gives fans a chance to feel a version of the experience they longed for, while reaffirming Skoda’s commitment to creating “thoughtful, engaging, and innovative experiences” that honour the community’s loyalty.
What makes the initiative noteworthy is that it acknowledges the emotional landscape around car ownership—a space often overlooked in transactional marketing. For many enthusiasts, a car like the Octavia RS is tied to identity, aspiration, and memories of past drives. By offering a hypnosis-led experience, Skoda is validating those feelings and giving them a structured form of expression. It allows fans to fill the void left by limited availability with something meaningful rather than merely promotional.
From BBH India’s perspective, ‘Mind Drive’ reflects the growing shift in advertising from content to experiences. Parikshit Bhattacharyya, Chief Creative Officer of BBH India, describes it as a natural progression from the “Heartbreak” campaign. He highlights how the earlier campaign unlocked a new dimension of engagement, emphasising emotional storytelling. Now, with ‘Mind Drive,’ BBH and Skoda aim to democratise the thrill of the Octavia RS by offering it to enthusiasts who never even had the chance for a test drive. Bhattacharyya calls experiences “the future,” positioning the project as a benchmark for experiential brand storytelling where emotions and sensory engagement take centre stage.
Behind the scenes, the creation of ‘Mind Drive’ required careful crafting. Hypnosis-based experiences need precision in narrative flow, sensory cues, and pacing to ensure the participant remains immersed. The sounds of the engine, descriptions of the seat’s feel, the imagined vibration of the road, and the psychological triggers that evoke acceleration—all of these elements are interwoven into a guided audio narrative. The experience is designed to be safe, calming, and deeply visual, allowing participants from any background to engage without prior exposure to hypnosis techniques.
What is particularly striking about the experience is its simplicity. There is no headset, no complex technology, no digital interface—only a guided audio track crafted with intention. In an age where immersive experiences often mean heavy VR gear or elaborate installations, Skoda’s approach stands out for using the most accessible tool available: the human mind. It is a reminder that imagination still remains one of the most powerful engines for emotional impact.
Beyond Skoda’s immediate community, the initiative also reflects a changing marketing landscape in India. Brands are increasingly looking to create personalised, multisensory campaigns that resonate with emotions rather than rely solely on traditional advertising narratives. As consumer attention becomes harder to capture, experiences that offer novelty, introspection, and personal meaning are becoming more valuable. Skoda’s ‘Mind Drive’ fits squarely within this cultural shift.
For the Octavia RS fan community, the initiative is likely to strengthen the emotional fabric that ties them to the brand. It acknowledges the depth of their admiration and gives them something experiential when something tangible was not possible. In a way, it converts longing into connection, and disappointment into a shared story between fans and the brand.
Ultimately, ‘Mind Drive’ serves as an example of how technology and creativity can merge to fill emotional gaps and spark new forms of engagement. It shows how a brand can respond to its consumers with empathy, imagination, and innovation. And while hypnosis cannot replace the real exhilaration of gripping the steering wheel of an Octavia RS, it offers something equally meaningful—a moment where enthusiasts can close their eyes and feel the thrill they dreamed of.
In doing so, Skoda and BBH India have managed to create not just a campaign, but a conversation about what it means to experience a car beyond its physical form. It is a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful journeys are the ones taken in the mind—where roads are limitless, engines never cool, and the Octavia RS continues to race on, fuelled by the passion of fans who keep it alive in their imagination.
