Cigno la Bicicletta (and their lovely advertisment)


I first came across this short clip at Copenhagen Cycle Chic. It's a commercial for the Italian bicycle company, Cigno. They have many beautiful bikes but this is specifically marketing their Seventy, an elegant folding bike. It has long been a personal gripe of mine that there are so many car commercials but I've yet to see an advertisement for a bicycle on television (here in America). When you watch prime-time television you are literally bombarded by advertisements for various automobiles. They are romanticized and the ad is basically telling you how you need this vehicle...even though many of the monthly payments are about the same as the mortgage payment on my house (to read more about the ridiculous amount of commercials--car and other--that we see everyday, click here). Simply said, bicycle advertisments like this are needed on American television. But even more specifically, we need advertisments targeting adults using bicycles as everyday forms of transport. While the Cigno ad is stylish and romantic it is basically targeting young couples. What we really need, I think, are advertisments showing people using cargo bikes or utility bikes as everyday vehicles (to offset the macho pickup truck commercials). I know...now I'm really asking for a lot. But I just wonder if it would make a difference and change the American mindset that the car is the only way to get around. OK...I'll get off my little soapbox now, because if you are reading this blog I'm most likely preaching to the choir. At any rate, this is really a beautiful commercial to watch. 

Comments

sally said…
What a great ad - I guess it helps if younger people are "converted" - in the ad biz that market is key and usually means they will always be a customer if they get the message early -
You are absolutely right that we need far less fast car commercials and more like this one -
Miguel said…
I sure wish they would show how they fold. There's nothing on their website. Just glossy girls and bikes.