GET ON YOUR BIKE, MELBOURNE
February 6 2009, 11:06 am | | 56 Comments
Inspired by the current erratic Connex train issues facing Melbournians, McCallum Advertising has created a topical press ad highlighting the need to start riding a bike to work. Bike Hub, by Pacific Brands, ran the ad in Melbourne’s MX magazine capturing the train commuter market.
Campaign: Ride a bike
Client: Pacific Brands
Agency: McCallum, Melbourne
Copywriter: David Gullotti
Art Director: David Gullotti
Integrated Communications Director: Marettee Tuck
56 Comments
Brilliant, die of exhaustion instead
Awesome insight guys!
Nice one, I’m in the target market and It’s made me think about riding into work.
I was on a train platform the other day…..if only I had seen this ad before.
I’m going to check out the website now. Good insight guys and I wish more people ride bikes.
I just opened the website in another window, it looks cool- great job all round.
Forgive me, but isn’t it averaging 40 degrees in Melbourne at the moment?
Err, will all the people from McCallum please sit down.
This is average.
If even that.
Hmmm topical yes. But in a paper I’d argue a different execution would have been better. As it is a reckon it’d work far better as a poster near the platforms.
great to see award school ideas still make it.
Great stuff well done
43 tomorrow? yes. Ride a bike? No thanks.
Good effort.
that is very pedestrian….topical yes, but surely there is a better ad in there than that.
good work guys, liking it!
Nice! And, regarding some of the comments, it doesn’t need 43 degrees for Connex to be crap!
Great ad, I get so frustrated on trains so it really struck a chord with me
Lynne Kosky would love this! Nice work.
With 40 degree heats, I’d say a free fan would be a better. 🙂
Marketing as a service.
Brilliant! Simple yet very effective design. Seems there are quite a few people out there with a very narrow minded view on what design is all about. You don’t have to have in your face graphics to get a message out. This ad gets it’s intended message across to it’s audience loud and clear. Well done!
Would’ve been better ambient
I’ve always used trains but this ad has really made me think about those long times at the train station waiting. I’m not sure whether I’m reading to get a bike yet, but when I do I think I’ll probably go to their website first
I’ve always hated bikes, ever since I tried to jump over my little sister when I was 7 and fell off, spraining my nose. But this ad does have a very valuable point. Bikes are never late, they’re never cancelled and I’ve never been charged an overpriced sandwich on a bike.
I’ll be buying one this weekend.
It’s really nice. I like it. I think it would feel bigger as a 2 min cinema ad though?
You’d open on a train timetable that had all but one train cancelled. You hold on it for about 1min 50 and then the final train becomes cancelled. You then cut to the bike.
It’s really nice though as it is.
This is so campaignable…..
The train is the only thing being delayed because the message isn’t. I got it instantly- trains get cancelled but bikes dont and if you have a bike you can beat waiting frustrated on a platform.
Great work all round from the agency and the client for[ excuse the pun[ choosing the best route.
Who said there was no good work coming out of the region?
Agree ambient would have been better but it did appear in MX , as a train rider myself I’ve usually skimmed over the entire rag before I’ve even boarded – Clever.
Topical ad? Yes. Would you put it in your book? No. Would you PR it?
Simple, topical and relevant. Sweet.
Innovative, different, fresh, unique, inspiring, clever, emotional.
This ad unfortunately has none of that.
the ad is neither here nor there. A cheap PR stunt.
But the idea of riding a bicycle isn’t. it is a really good one. unfortunately a print ad isn’t going to change anything.
if these chaps want to do something they would be contacting the council and helping them to figure out how to install a bike share system in their city.
take the examples of Paris and Barcelona. Both have led the way with bicycle share systems that are cheap and convenient to use.
To see more on the subject
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velib
There truly is really good honest work to hit the region. Will it trouble juries? Maybe
Maybe could show up at the regional festivals. Don’t think it’s gonna pick up metal but it’s a chance
To the comment at 6.29pm. In advertising, there’s a success formula for communication. The 3 ‘S’s. They are Simplicity, Surprise, Smile. This ad clearly has all three. Congratulations to the agency and client involved. It has my vote.
For fucks sake, what’s wrong with an air-conditioned car.
are you all mad? This is so so so it’s not funny. Is it bad? No. Is it good? No. It would take a jury of idiots to give this ANY consideration!
Shite.
9:40 it looks like they took the ‘simplicity’ mantra a little to far and made this idea a little ‘simple’ if you catch my drift?
Better to come up with something that makes a difference for the business than the creatives award credentials, which I personally don’t think will be enhanced by this effort.
Sorry to be blunt, it’s just the best way to inspire people to do better.
Big thought, well done.
Taps into something we all know.
Kudos to everyone involved, especially the bike company and the client and the agency
It wouldn’t trouble any juries in the big gun festivals like D & AD but I’ll bet it gets at least a bronze in Cannes or one show. It’s pretty fucking clever.
Ad of the year surely?
It’s topical and perfect for problem/solution. I’ve just spent 4 years in London and it would have been heralded over there as nothing short of genius.
Could be a caxtons – winner. Award print – silver/bronze perhaps? Cannes – Bronze at least, One show – Silver? D&AD – May get recognised but it probably wont pick up a pencil, fucking great though. I’d be happy with that haul on my sparse little mantlepiece.
For me, only the Nike Wayne Rooney ‘St George’s cross’ ad beats this for it’s hijacking on the mood of a nation. Simple and brilliant.
Mind you, nothing’s ever going to beat the wayne rooney ad.
At last some good feedback on some good work.
I don’t know if I’d go as far as hijacking the mood of a nation but def up there with Hijacking the mood of the state
I am assuming every good comment is coming from mccallum crew.
this is fairly mediocre. the sort of shit you would see in a student book.
this brief had amazing potential and in the hands of a decent agency, it could have been awesome.
cycling has a community around. it has a benefit. pretty of them actually. bike hub could have been the spark that helped change a city. but instead they have gone for a fairly cheap print ad. that is based on an insight but will be forgotten before you get to flinders station.
I think the line ‘ride a bike instead’ is a little lazy, does anyone agree?
It could have done with a bit more crafting?
It’s the best ad I’ve ever seen.
It’s amazing. Seriously awesome.
This ad has more cut through than edward scissorhands hand moulding hot butter.
Truly unremarkable. Next.
It’s a fucking good idea and I bet all the bitches on here – which are probably all the regular don’t-have-a-life-or-a-good-idea-in-my-book hacks which are always on here – wish it was theirs.
Smart, simple great idea and fresh thinking from Melbourne for once
Good to see nuts and bolts work.
Will work its socks off and by just talking to people on the street it’s getting noticed too.
Trains are or long commutes. Bikes are for short ones. Doesn’t work.
the trains on platform 2 are running on time.
This ad has WON something already.
It’s a new blog record for the number of times the creators of a crap ad have felt compelled to defend it.
Well done.
you guys are so lucky earth hour and that crap child abuse campaign were posted in the same week.
this is fucked.
Oh wow! I will sell the Porche with 4 wheels and buy one with 2.
What the fuck is a train though?
Selling bikes is easy. How good are you with trains?