TFL advert promoting cycling

rothbook · May 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1nYWIfwm7k

It's ok I guess.

Why can't we show the reality though? Car adverts have a car sweeeping round deserted mountain hairpins with a stacked bimbo.

Why not have three petrol heeads bragging about their œ30k penis extension , all being overtaken by a serene bike commuter or something?

Car ads are divorced from reality. Your œ30k car in London does an average speed of 12mph, not what the ad promised.

So- subvert the genre. Have a load of city boys joshing and bonding in the traffic jam about what their car cost. Jump cut to a smashing filly on a bike, sailing elegantly through London's traffic and getting there before anywhere else.

Cut back to city boys noticing her, a dawn of realisation creeping over their faces.

Cut back to a rear view of the smashing filly disappearing over the horizon, caption:

Cycle in London. You always get a seat.

Archcp · May 2007

Yeah, it's cute, but you're right, maybe it needs to be less cute to get to some people. Well, I guess you need both sorts to appeal to all sorts of people.

I'd say, how about the soundtrack from the Italian Job (The Self Preservation Society song), to shots of 3 cyclists beating the traffic - legally of course, making use of cycle only lanes, ASLs, responsible filtering... Fast, pacy, exciting - but not so much so that it makes it look light you have to be an athlete - so make one a roadie in lycra, but the others 'ordinary people' one in a suit, one in jeans or a lady in a skirt...

Tagline: (in Michael Caine voice) Cycle? Hang on lads, I've had an idea....

Probably impossible due to copyright and stuff... But would be fun...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Canrider · May 2007

It's okay I guess too. Similar thoughts to you two, really. I suppose they want to make it seem fairly peaceful and relaxing to cycle, given the music, but that means they're not showing any traffic beyond the one 'cycle' beating the bus through an intersection. I don't remember seeing a single moving car in the whole spot.

"We will never win until the oil runs out or they invent hover cars - but then they may land on us." -- lardarse rider

The Bosscp · May 2007

Yes but this isn't an advert for a cycle, it's an advert for cycling in general. Although good point, it could have been a whole lot more glamorous.
Although you have to remember that top of TFL's agenda is political correctness (that's why there's your token black woman smiling at the end) so they can't be seen to be doing down any particular group - motorists' lobbies would get a bee in their bonnet if they thought they were poking fun at drivers.
Besides it would be unrealistic, if a load of 'petrol-head city boys' saw a 'smashing filly' ride past on a bike, they wouldn't be likely to go 'oooh,.. you know what Tarquin, we should all get bikes then we could zip through the traffic like her!', it'd be more a case of 'phhwoaarr - check out the baps on that!'

Did anyone notice how many people there were on that bus, aswell?

Sheddy · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch
I'd say, how about the soundtrack from the Italian Job (The Self Preservation Society song), to shots of 3 cyclists beating the traffic - legally of course, making use of cycle only lanes, ASLs, responsible filtering... Fast, pacy, exciting - but not so much so that it makes it look light you have to be an athlete - so make one a roadie in lycra, but the others 'ordinary people' one in a suit, one in jeans or a lady in a skirt...

Tagline: (in Michael Caine voice) Cycle? Hang on lads, I've had an idea....

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Priceless !
How about making a demo and getting it shown on C4's Three Minute Wonder

The Bosscp · May 2007

What about just staging a competition on here, elect someone as the judge, post them all on youtube, and submit the winning entry to TFL and lobby them to screen it on primetime? Or alternatively just get together and do one? Anyone that thinks they can do better should put their money where their mouth is...

rothbook · May 2007

The idea needs work, the boss, but the concept is ok I think. The cyclists isn't smug, and it's not having a pop at drivers, just highlighting the absurdity of a œ300 bike being faster, cleaner, more efficient and more pleasant than a car commute in a city.

The Bosscp · May 2007

Mmmm...yeah. would require organisation, but on the upside it might get taken notice of and would be fun anyway even if it didn't. Shame I live up north though... I'll be the judge if you like [:D]
I've nothing against having a pop at drivers (or better still drivING) mind.

The Bosscp · May 2007

I personally couldn't possibly commute by car in London, just couldn't physically do it.

rothbook · May 2007

It's a balance thing I guess. Implying superiority would wee off drivers bur it's hard to portray cycling as anything other than what it is (to me anyway).

It's the same as jump-cutting from a cyclist riding thru a London park on the way to work to crushed, harrassed sweaty people on the tube. TFL would never endorse that!

Jon G · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by rothbook

caption:

Cycle in London. You always get a seat.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

How about "Arrival of the fittest"?

Jon

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sheddy

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch
I'd say, how about the soundtrack from the Italian Job (The Self Preservation Society song), to shots of 3 cyclists beating the traffic - legally of course, making use of cycle only lanes, ASLs, responsible filtering... Fast, pacy, exciting - but not so much so that it makes it look light you have to be an athlete - so make one a roadie in lycra, but the others 'ordinary people' one in a suit, one in jeans or a lady in a skirt...

Tagline: (in Michael Caine voice) Cycle? Hang on lads, I've had an idea....

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Priceless !
How about making a demo and getting it shown on C4's Three Minute Wonder
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm very very tempted. Maybe I'll see if I can drum up some helpers. Mind you, I don't think traffic in York gridlocks to quite the same extent as London, although we have our moments...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

The Bosscp · May 2007

You could 'arrange' for someone to 'break down' at a crucial intersection... there'd soon be a backlog for you to overtake on your bike while being filmed.

Canrider · May 2007

Arch:
Gillygate
Lord Mayor's Walk (in fact the whole inner ring road)
Walmgate
Lendal Bridge
Probably those intersections down at the south end past the Mount.

"We will never win until the oil runs out or they invent hover cars - but then they may land on us." -- lardarse rider

Sheddy · May 2007

Well I never! - http://www.theitalianjob.com/the_film_soundtrack.htm

nun · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Canrider

It's okay I guess too. Similar thoughts to you two, really. I suppose they want to make it seem fairly peaceful and relaxing to cycle, given the music, but that means they're not showing any traffic beyond the one 'cycle' beating the bus through an intersection. I don't remember seeing a single moving car in the whole spot.

"We will never win until the oil runs out or they invent hover cars - but then they may land on us." -- lardarse rider
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah the lack of traffic in London reminds me of how the city looks in "28 Weeks After", either that of its dawn and nobody's up yet. Actually dawn's the best time to ride a bike.

The Bosscp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Canrider

Arch:
Gillygate
Lord Mayor's Walk (in fact the whole inner ring road)
Walmgate
Lendal Bridge
Probably those intersections down at the south end past the Mount.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Right, ok chaps, let's get this script finalized. Here's what we've got so far. Canrider goes in a car down the inner ring road at rush hour and when he gets to a choice position in the middle of Lord Mayors Walk, whacks the hazards on and apparently suffers from 'alternator failure'. Meanwhile, Arch is about half a mile behind, on bike. Traffic is backing up. Cameraman is about 50 yards behind Canrider who is now frantically looking in his engine making it look like he's trying to fix his car, which won't start due to the fact he disconnected the starter motor from the battery surreptitiously as soon as he opened the bonnet rendering the efforts of passers by fruitless (a hidden pre-installed switch could aid with this).
Few panning shots of the now gridlocked traffic jam, the few drivers that are sticking their head out of their window to see what's going on adding to the feeling of frustration. Cut to ARch, wearing a 'breezy' smug grin, and now effortlessly zipping past what is now basically a car park at about 20mph. Few worms eye view shots of bike coming towards, passing close to, and then disappearing away from camera, to emphasise speed. Cut to an irate red-faced driver (placed) with tie dishevelled and top button undone hammering his fists on the steering wheel in annoyance, cut again to Arch and a few other cyclists disappearing merrily into the distance.
Then the motto appears on the screen: 'Cycling. You'll get there faster.' Or something cleverer to that effect.

rothbook · May 2007

Shut up bonj you dribbling bum clown.

Unknown · May 2007

Do you think the bike's a folder?

Simon L2 · May 2007

the last shot is from the Embankment - one of the finest cycling experiences there is.

I thought it a bit twee, but I suspect that TfL have done their marketing research, and, in any case this is one of quite a few. Spending œ26 million promoting cycling in London is quite something.

rothbook · May 2007

For sheer quality check out how The Dutch do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUXzOKaWl5w

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by rothbook

For sheer quality check out how The Dutch do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUXzOKaWl5w
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's neat! Lots of ordinary people, but also fun, and I love the last scene - you think 'huh?" and then all becomes clear...

We all seem to have ideas, so if you really fancy having a go at something, look at this:

http://quickrelease.tv/?p=39

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

TFL advert promoting cycling

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