Adverts for cars in Cycling Plus - what do we think?

Sundaycyclist

I have noticed that the latest issue of Cycling Plus has a number of adverts for a car. I know many of us do own cars but I don't expect to see an advert for cars in a decent cycling magazine.

Have Cycling Plus let us down (again - they've done it before by advertising an awful hot rod magazine in their pages)?

I was put out by it. I commute most days by bicycle and enjoy escaping the motor-mad world when dipping into my Cycling Plus read.

What do you think?

phy2sll2

I suspect you're in the minority (not saying you're wrong!) After all, they wouldn't put an advert in there if they didn't think there was a market for it, would they?

Nothing wrong with owning a car. Just remember though: "the bikes on top of your car should be worth more than the car"

Sundaycyclist

I suspect you're right. My car is old and knackered and certainly worth fewer pounds than my road bike front wheel!

I guess I'm just old fashioned. I suppose it's a symptom of the popularity of cycling. Now that the City boys are all racing around London on Pinarellos I guess the tin box sellers see the magazines they read as fair game for a bit of plugging. What next though? Porsche adverts? Where will the editor draw the line before he turns money down? If a lap dancing bar wanted to advertise would he take their money? Maybe the Ed didn't have a choice - maybe he was bullied by the big commercial boys in the office above.

I think giving in to a single car advert, even for a nasty tacky one like the one in the mag, is the start of a slippery slope.

squired

Someone comes along to them and says we will pay you money to have an advert for our car in your magazine. Why would they say no? Simple as that really.

rolf_f

I'm pretty much completely oblivious to all forms of advertising. I never really notice any of it and certainly don't buy under the influence of it,

bails87

Sundaycyclist wrote:

What next though? Porsche adverts?

Heaven forfend!

Sundaycyclist wrote:

If a lap dancing bar wanted to advertise would he take their money?

BAN THIS SICK FILTH

I guess I'm just old fashioned.

Yes. And strange

I think giving in to a single car advert, even for a nasty tacky one like the one in the mag, is the start of a slippery slope.

Seriously.....

nation

I feel like I'm missing something here.

Why would Cycling plus refuse to carry car adverts?

Long_Time_Lurker

That advertising is subsidising the cost of the magazine. I imagine that a car manufacturer will have the budget to pay for a top whack advert.
The alternative is upping the price of the mag.

Stiff_Orange

Sundaycyclist wrote:

What next though? Porsche adverts?

Porsche make bikes http://www.porsche-bike.com/us/the-new-porsche-bikes/ so they could advertise quite legimately in a cycle mag.

davis

Rolf F wrote:

I'm pretty much completely oblivious to all forms of advertising. I never really notice any of it and certainly don't buy under the influence of it,

I thought it was just me. I'd love to know exactly how oblivious I am.

redjeepǃ

Really can't see what the problem is. Car manufacturers have obviously realised that cyclists as a whole are better paid than average and adverts are being tailored to suit.

Expect to see much more mainstream adverts in the cycling press as it looses it's geeky image.

lemoncurd

Sundaycyclist wrote:

Have Cycling Plus let us down

No - they accepted money to place an advert in their magazine.

What do you expect them to do, refuse adverts for products that you don't like?

shouldbeinbed

In other news of similar importance, one of the bulbs in the kitchen went earlier and I had to stand on the wobbly chair to fix it.

TommyEss

Skoda sponsor the whole Tour de France...

El Gordo

Rolf F wrote:

I'm pretty much completely oblivious to all forms of advertising. I never really notice any of it and certainly don't buy under the influence of it,

I wonder if that's really true though. Do you base ALL your buying decisions based on well research technical details and never lean towards a certain brand (bikes, food, clothes, wine, washing powder) because of a perception of quality.

I used to think the same thing about myself - I was impervious to advertising and made up my own mind. I now realise that the multi billion pound advertising industry has outsmarted me and I believe certain products to be better and others to be rubbish with absolutely no basis for that opinion.

As for car adverts in bike magazines - who cares? Most of us drive cars too. I'm more likely to buy a Skoda than I am a £5000 road bike.

joelsim

LOL at a Hot Rod ad in CP!

Who on earth would ever imagine that being a good idea!!!!!

A car, on the other hand, is fair game in my view, if it's the right car.

Drysuitdiver

shouldbeinbed wrote:

In other news of similar importance, one of the bulbs in the kitchen went earlier and I had to stand on the wobbly chair to fix it.

how tall are the plant pots in your kitchen if you need a chair to reach to dig into the soil !!

JonoStevens

Its all about the demographics innit.

I'd hazard a guess that the same sort of person who reads Cycing Plus is on the large the same sort of person that'd be interested in buying a new car.

They've got to pay the bills somehow.

cyberknight

I could not care less what they advertise within reason as long as it keeps the cost down and free buffs etc keep coming .
At least for the the content of the mag has improved lately.

plowmar

Might have been better if they had shown how many bikes you could get in or on the car - instead of mpg etc. - and what effect that would have on the handling characteristics .
Sell to your audience?

jomoj

I wonder if there are adverts for bikes in car mags and whether they cause similar levels of mild indifference in their readership?

Anyway, personally I find some of the bike adverts in bike mags nauseating enough (Van Nicolas - I'm looking at you) and noticed one that was using an 'executive' car brand as a prop, presumably aimed squarely at the MAMIL demographic.

neiltb

Joelsim wrote:

LOL at a Hot Rod ad in CP!

Who on earth would ever imagine that being a good idea!!!!!

.

Me, I ride a bike to and from work and have another for weekend rides. I also enjoy cars and am my father in laws grease monkey on his hot rod. Targeted advertising, MAMILs may have enough money for a nice bike and a nice car.

joelsim

neiltb wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

LOL at a Hot Rod ad in CP!

Who on earth would ever imagine that being a good idea!!!!!

.

Me, I ride a bike to and from work and have another for weekend rides. I also enjoy cars and am my father in laws grease monkey on his hot rod. Targeted advertising, MAMILs may have enough money for a nice bike and a nice car.

I would imagine you are in a small minority with the hot rod and cycling Neil, that's all.

bails87

plowmar wrote:

Might have been better if they had shown how many bikes you could get in or on the car - instead of mpg etc. - and what effect that would have on the handling characteristics .
Sell to your audience?

If the bikes are ruining your car's handling then you need lighter bikes


Oh dear god, I've just noticed a banner ad for a [whisper] car [/whisper] at the top of this page. RUNFORTHEHILLSSSSSS!

prawny

Is this about the hyndai ad after the Etape Cymru article?

Skoda used to sponsor the big ride peice ages ago I'm not sure how long hyundai have been. It doesn't bother me.

At the end of the day it's a cycling magazine not an anti car propaganda machine.