We continue with the last installment of the advertising evolution, showcasing the campaigns and creatives that our company has launched throughout this century to strengthen our brand positioning among potential specifiers, clients, and representatives of different interest groups. As we mentioned in previous publications, Part I and Part II, until 2009, Castrosua and Carsa (Castro Carrocera S.A.) – the latter entity belonging to our group – carried out advertising actions separately. However, from this point onwards, campaigns were unified for a brief period where the logos of Castrosua and Carsa coexisted in the proposed graphics. Shortly after, Grupo Castrosua began to communicate and promote itself as a group integrated under its global brand of Castrosua.
Especially from 2010 onwards, the advertising rules of the game changed. Experts agree in pointing out this year as the first in which viral advertising overtook traditional advertising. From this moment on, users became part of the advertising process – largely due to the impact of social networks where they can interact with brands – and companies wishing to promote themselves needed to produce increasingly impactful, novel content with attractive designs, graphics, and claims that people would want to share.
In Line with the Times
And Grupo Castrosua has not remained oblivious to this paradigm shift. Our company has focused its efforts in the last 15 years, in terms of advertising and communication, on establishing itself in the collective imagination as a leading business group in its segment: the manufacturing of bus bodies.
Although we primarily develop solutions for the urban segment, we are also bodywork artisans capable of offering innovative alternatives in the medium and long-distance niches, always with a focus on eco-sustainability.
The Start of Joint Campaigns: 2009
To analyze this period, in which Castrosua and Carsa unified their campaigns, we go back to 2009, the first time a joint promotional action was undertaken. Fifteen years ago, we created an emotional advertisement with a strong human character, with the claim ‘Let’s take care of the future together… the journey begins now,’ featuring the tiny feet of a newborn baby held by adult hands. Indeed, the joint promotional journey of the Castrosua and Carsa brands began then: the word ‘journey’ was not chosen by chance, as our headquarters are located in the city that is the destination of one of the most famous and busiest routes in the world: the Camino de Santiago.
In 2010, our company decided to highlight the figure of our founding president, Don José Castro, who planted the seed of what Grupo Castrosua is today in 1948. We owe much of what we are to him, and for that reason, as a tribute in the past decade, we began by featuring his image in close-up in our advertisement.
The idea was to convey seniority, experience, and solvency with the image of Don José (created by Eduardo J. Castro Rodríguez), who was 83 years old at the time and celebrated his 97th birthday last July 2023. Alongside his image, one of the undisputed references in our company’s historical trajectory, a slogan stated: ‘The values of always, with the latest technology.’ The graphics continued to feature the logos of Castrosua and Carsa, and for the first time, the concept of ‘hybrid’ was introduced.
It should not be forgotten that at this time, new hybrid transport solutions were beginning to enter the market strongly, and our company was already working in this area.
The following year, in 2011, we launched two distinct campaigns focused on highlighting new designs and redesigns of bus bodies that we were presenting to the market at the time. On the one hand, in the second half of that year, we carried out a restyling of our Magnus.E model, and to showcase this bodywork, optimal for short and medium-haul routes, we conceived a very cheerful and colorful advertisement where the graphic was divided into four colors under the slogan ‘No matter how you paint it. The Magnus. E shines on its own.’
Also in 2011, but at the end of the year, we highlighted our new Stellae model: a bodywork intended for intercity and charter transport. Since the Latin word Stellae means ‘of the stars,’ which many consider to be at the origin of the toponym Compostela (where our headquarters are located), we opted for a first version of the advertisement in which a night sky with stars forming this word was glimpsed. An emotional claim accompanied the image at the bottom of the creative, appealing to emotion and stating, ‘I wonder if the stars light up, so that one day each person can find theirs…’
The campaign continued with a second advertisement in similar terms, which already indicated that our company was the creator of it and presented the nomenclature Stellae, chosen for the bodywork we launched at that time, to the world in clear and legible lettering. The logos of Castrosua and Carsa were included, which, to maintain the element of surprise, had not been included in the first version of the advertisement. However, this second creative concluded with a different phrase: ‘And you, have you found yours yet?’
In 2014, we presented our new corporate image, with a logo adapted to the new times. From the outset, we aimed to consolidate the previously distinct images of Castrosua and Carsa around the new logo. That is, the purpose of the new image, which was unveiled a decade ago, was to serve as a common reference for both brands, and it has been so from the beginning.
That first advertisement conceived under our new corporate identity featured the image of our New City model – aimed at urban transport – slightly silhouetted against a blue background. The graphic of our creative aimed to highlight our group’s corporate values textually: reliability, evolution, quality, innovation, flexibility, and commitment were the terms chosen to present ourselves exactly a decade ago, as you can see in the advertisement we reproduce below.
Two years later, in 2016, the Grupo Castrosua advertisement coined a new slogan: ‘Your bus, our passion.’ The graphic featured the three models of our company that, at that time, had the greatest market presence: the New City, the Magnus.E, and the Stellae.
Just one year later, we revisited an idea around which we had previously structured campaigns. We could not be what we are without our staff, without the team of workers who make our project a reality every day. Thus, in 2017, we wanted to focus our creative on ‘The Value of the Team,’ with various images of workers on the factory floor and in our offices, without forgetting to include photographs of our most relevant bus bodies.
In 2018, we celebrated our 70th anniversary. A celebration we could not overlook, and for that reason, the slogan chosen for the graphic was ’70 years at the service of your trust.’ At a time when ecomobility was beginning to gain strong traction, the creative idea also included references to this new paradigm.
Precisely, the premise of ecomobility completely centered the message of the advertisement we launched the following year, in 2019. With green completely dominating the design, we alluded to our commitment to the future, specifically to a greener, more ecological, cleaner, and sustainable transport model. Our Magnus.H model, a hybrid (launched at that time), was featured in the advertisement.
In 2020, the creative concept shifted completely from product to company. With an image of a road winding through a mountainous area, where the shadow of a bus traveling on it could be discerned, we wanted to highlight our project in its entirety as a company capable of providing flexible and personalized mobility solutions for our clients, thanks to a solid and experienced team committed to the environment. Thus, the chosen image included a paragraph explaining all these aspects and firmly stated the chosen slogan: ‘With you, to wherever you want to go.’
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, we launched Nelec to the market, a bodywork for the urban electromobility segment. Until then, we used to present our new models at trade fairs and industry forums, but the previous year’s pandemic changed the rules of the game for us, as well as for many other companies.
From making physical product presentations at trade fairs, we had to reinvent ourselves and make a 100% online launch. We prepared a launch event from our prototype facility where our president, Juan Luis Castro, and our CEO, Beatriz Castro, acted as masters of ceremony. During this 30-minute presentation, we were able to see teaser and launch videos, as well as get an up-close look at the vehicle and, of course, the Castro family. This campaign earned us great recognition and had wide social reach; you can recall it here:
To conclude this launch, we conceived an advertisement featuring this model circulating in an urban environment, and precisely, the concept of the city also played an important role in the chosen slogan: ‘Feel the most urban nature.’
At the beginning of 2023, with the Nelec campaign already concluded, we conceived the creative that defined our company’s entire past year: a graphic where the conveyed idea was communicated through a textual message that appealed to emotions: ‘We take care of what we are, by betting on what we feel.’
And, at the end of 2023, our latest product launch saw the light of day. We expanded our electromobility range and presented our new 75CS model to the market, a Class II Low Entry commuter bus. This first unit was bodied on a Scania chassis and was presented to the world at the latest edition of Busworld.
‘When you are the one setting the course, you decide the destination’ – the chosen campaign slogan, accompanied by a spectacular front photo of the bus – is a clear statement of intent for the future we want to steer our company towards.
Coinciding with our 75th anniversary, from which the bodywork takes its name, we launched and promoted this model, with which we aim to contribute to the development of road passenger transport in our country, especially within the commuter segment, with a more sustainable, safe, and accessible model that represents firm steps in our commitment to electromobility.
Different graphics, messages, concepts, and ideas to highlight our company’s adaptation to each specific moment. Today, road passenger transport is advancing towards electromobility, betting on decarbonization and digitalization, and we are sure that our future advertising campaigns will continue to feature these concepts along with innovations, as we never stop innovating. Campaigns that, of course, we will be delighted to show you.
Finally, we pose a question related to the content of this post. If you had to choose any of the creatives we have presented in this text, which one would you opt for and why? We await your answers and reviews, which will surely help us guide and focus our future promotional campaigns!
In 2010, our company decided to highlight the figure of our founding president, Don José Castro, who planted the seed of what Grupo Castrosua is today in 1948. We owe much of what we are to him, and for that reason, as a tribute in the past decade, we began by featuring his image in close-up in our advertisement.
The idea was to convey seniority, experience, and solvency with the image of Don José (created by Eduardo J. Castro Rodríguez), who was 83 years old at the time and celebrated his 97th birthday last July 2023. Alongside his image, one of the undisputed references in our company’s historical trajectory, a slogan stated: ‘The values of always, with the latest technology.’ The graphics continued to feature the logos of Castrosua and Carsa, and for the first time, the concept of ‘hybrid’ was introduced.
It should not be forgotten that at this time, new hybrid transport solutions were beginning to enter the market strongly, and our company was already working in this area.
The following year, in 2011, we launched two distinct campaigns focused on highlighting new designs and redesigns of bus bodies that we were presenting to the market at the time. On the one hand, in the second half of that year, we carried out a restyling of our Magnus.E model, and to showcase this bodywork, optimal for short and medium-haul routes, we conceived a very cheerful and colorful advertisement where the graphic was divided into four colors under the slogan ‘No matter how you paint it. The Magnus. E shines on its own.’
Also in 2011, but at the end of the year, we highlighted our new Stellae model: a bodywork intended for intercity and charter transport. Since the Latin word Stellae means ‘of the stars,’ which many consider to be at the origin of the toponym Compostela (where our headquarters are located), we opted for a first version of the advertisement in which a night sky with stars forming this word was glimpsed. An emotional claim accompanied the image at the bottom of the creative, appealing to emotion and stating, ‘I wonder if the stars light up, so that one day each person can find theirs…’
The campaign continued with a second advertisement in similar terms, which already indicated that our company was the creator of it and presented the nomenclature Stellae, chosen for the bodywork we launched at that time, to the world in clear and legible lettering. The logos of Castrosua and Carsa were included, which, to maintain the element of surprise, had not been included in the first version of the advertisement. However, this second creative concluded with a different phrase: ‘And you, have you found yours yet?’
In 2014, we presented our new corporate image, with a logo adapted to the new times. From the outset, we aimed to consolidate the previously distinct images of Castrosua and Carsa around the new logo. That is, the purpose of the new image, which was unveiled a decade ago, was to serve as a common reference for both brands, and it has been so from the beginning.
That first advertisement conceived under our new corporate identity featured the image of our New City model – aimed at urban transport – slightly silhouetted against a blue background. The graphic of our creative aimed to highlight our group’s corporate values textually: reliability, evolution, quality, innovation, flexibility, and commitment were the terms chosen to present ourselves exactly a decade ago, as you can see in the advertisement we reproduce below.
Two years later, in 2016, the Grupo Castrosua advertisement coined a new slogan: ‘Your bus, our passion.’ The graphic featured the three models of our company that, at that time, had the greatest market presence: the New City, the Magnus.E, and the Stellae.
Just one year later, we revisited an idea around which we had previously structured campaigns. We could not be what we are without our staff, without the team of workers who make our project a reality every day. Thus, in 2017, we wanted to focus our creative on ‘The Value of the Team,’ with various images of workers on the factory floor and in our offices, without forgetting to include photographs of our most relevant bus bodies.
In 2018, we celebrated our 70th anniversary. A celebration we could not overlook, and for that reason, the slogan chosen for the graphic was ’70 years at the service of your trust.’ At a time when ecomobility was beginning to gain strong traction, the creative idea also included references to this new paradigm.
Precisely, the premise of ecomobility completely centered the message of the advertisement we launched the following year, in 2019. With green completely dominating the design, we alluded to our commitment to the future, specifically to a greener, more ecological, cleaner, and sustainable transport model. Our Magnus.H model, a hybrid (launched at that time), was featured in the advertisement.
In 2020, the creative concept shifted completely from product to company. With an image of a road winding through a mountainous area, where the shadow of a bus traveling on it could be discerned, we wanted to highlight our project in its entirety as a company capable of providing flexible and personalized mobility solutions for our clients, thanks to a solid and experienced team committed to the environment. Thus, the chosen image included a paragraph explaining all these aspects and firmly stated the chosen slogan: ‘With you, to wherever you want to go.’
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, we launched Nelec to the market, a bodywork for the urban electromobility segment. Until then, we used to present our new models at trade fairs and industry forums, but the previous year’s pandemic changed the rules of the game for us, as well as for many other companies.
From making physical product presentations at trade fairs, we had to reinvent ourselves and make a 100% online launch. We prepared a launch event from our prototype facility where our president, Juan Luis Castro, and our CEO, Beatriz Castro, acted as masters of ceremony. During this 30-minute presentation, we were able to see teaser and launch videos, as well as get an up-close look at the vehicle and, of course, the Castro family. This campaign earned us great recognition and had wide social reach; you can recall it here:
To conclude this launch, we conceived an advertisement featuring this model circulating in an urban environment, and precisely, the concept of the city also played an important role in the chosen slogan: ‘Feel the most urban nature.’
At the beginning of 2023, with the Nelec campaign already concluded, we conceived the creative that defined our company’s entire past year: a graphic where the conveyed idea was communicated through a textual message that appealed to emotions: ‘We take care of what we are, by betting on what we feel.’
And, at the end of 2023, our latest product launch saw the light of day. We expanded our electromobility range and presented our new 75CS model to the market, a Class II Low Entry commuter bus. This first unit was bodied on a Scania chassis and was presented to the world at the latest edition of Busworld.
‘When you are the one setting the course, you decide the destination’ – the chosen campaign slogan, accompanied by a spectacular front photo of the bus – is a clear statement of intent for the future we want to steer our company towards.
Coinciding with our 75th anniversary, from which the bodywork takes its name, we launched and promoted this model, with which we aim to contribute to the development of road passenger transport in our country, especially within the commuter segment, with a more sustainable, safe, and accessible model that represents firm steps in our commitment to electromobility.
Different graphics, messages, concepts, and ideas to highlight our company’s adaptation to each specific moment. Today, road passenger transport is advancing towards electromobility, betting on decarbonization and digitalization, and we are sure that our future advertising campaigns will continue to feature these concepts along with innovations, as we never stop innovating. Campaigns that, of course, we will be delighted to show you.
Finally, we pose a question related to the content of this post. If you had to choose any of the creatives we have presented in this text, which one would you opt for and why? We await your answers and reviews, which will surely help us guide and focus our future promotional campaigns! 
