commercials?

[inatree]

i was just wondering...why dont i ever see tv commercials for bikes? i dont think i've ever seen a bicycle commercial...

just thought that was kinda weird...

[witeowl]

i was just wondering...why dont i ever see tv commercials for bikes? i dont think i've ever seen a bicycle commercial...

just thought that was kinda weird...

You know, I tried really hard to argue with you. Well, not that there are commercials out there, but that there aren't commercials for anything similar.

"You never see commercials for running shoes." Actually, yes, you do.

"You never see commercials for treadmills." Strike two.

But, really, despite these (pretty minimal) counter-examples, I think the real bicycle commercials are plastered all over during races and events. After all, you market to your audience. And, for the most part, the audience is not sitting in front of the tv.

sincerely,
the tivo queen

[velogirl]

We're in a larger market (San Francisco) and we've got commercials for bike shops -- not typically individual brands (like Trek, Giant, etc).

Television advertising is pretty cost prohibitive. Most bike shops have yellow page ads, a website, and possible some flyers or direct mailing during the year. That's it.

Also, the audience for cycling advertising is pretty darn small.

As mentioned, a more effective marketing tool is sponsorship -- in many forms. Offering in-store clinics and events brings your potential market into the shop. Sponsoring a club, team, or charity training program brings lots of exposure. Hosting a ride from the shop brings folks to your door on a regular basis. Email list marketing is pretty darn effective, especially in newsletter, value-added format.

[littlegrasshopp]

We had several for one bike shop, during the tour de france this year. They were horrible commercials. Women riding to the grocery store in a BUSY town with flip flops and no helmet - riding down the middle of the street!! A bike shop should know better than that!!

[Aggie_Ama]

You might see a few during cycling events on TV. I know I saw some Bianchi commercials during the tour.

I don't know that I have seen any for our local bike shops on TV here. I do hear one radio blurb every morning. The shop we frequent sponsors the weather on the local alternative station's morning show.

[spokewench]

Remember you are talking about the United States of America and advertising. The all mighty, god given right of all Americans is to drive a vehicle, the bigger the better, the fancier the better, the faster and more discourteous the better and you better not take that right away, or make it more expensive to drive, or anything else! When you kill someone in a car, it is always "AN ACCIDENT".

Bike advertising would be sacriligious (SP?), and VERY VERY UNPATRIOTIC!

(Any of our compatriots out of the States who live in more bike friendly worlds, have any comments?)

Thanks for letting me rant - maybe homeland security will come after me now?

[velogirl]

Does anyone remember the television spots about a year ago (Volkswagon, I think) where a driver doored a cyclist? I never saw the commercial but it was all the buzz among the cycling advocates here in SF -- they apparently got it pulled and a big, public apology.

SW makes a good point.

BTW, most of the bike shop commercials are canned packaged from their primary brand. For example, Trek has a commercial available and they just drop in the local shop's name and logo. So, you might see the same commercial for Shop ABC in San Francisco and Shop XYZ in San Jose.

[KnottedYet]

There's a newspaper ad (only in the "alternative" papers though) for a shop here that compares the price of a commuter bike to 5 tanks of gas.

Kind of clever visuals. Unfortunately it's for a shop that sold it's soul to the forces of evil. But I still like the ad.

Don't think I've ever seen a bike or bike shop ad on TV here.

[Trek420]

designer chimes in:

not my day job but what I went to college for, anyway ..... what I have noticed is this, there's lots lots lots of bikes IN TV ads these days.

I have no statistic for how often "we" were pictured before but has anyone else felt that from airlines to water parks (can't think of x,y or z ) there are bikes or cyclists in the background? Seems if you see urban traffic in the background odds are there will be a bike in it.

Is this window dressing like "our products are green, look...see...here's a bike!" or are co's catering to our market (active adults?) or do they just think we looks puhrty? Whether the bike is on a bike rack or under a rider we seem to be everywhere in advertising these days.

[Geonz]

I also noticed the other day that there are more bicycles and bicycling in advertisements, so it has certainly crept into the "accepted lifestyle" (and it shows up on all kinds of weather channel clips :-)).
I do have to wonder if a TV campaign just might make that market bigger. I think right now (okay, maybe in March or April or May ... or maybe January for those resoultions)...) there are people looking for something to do "about" so much stuff they feel helpless about, including creeping obesity and gas prices and what have you. (Yea, prices are creeping down right now... )

[light_sabe_r]

We get adds for Avanti bikes during TDF... But that's the only time I ever see adds for bikes.... Unless you count "camping/fitness" store commercials

[Kano]

What is that bike that's supposed to have an "automatic transmission" -- the Land Cruiser????

Infomercials on that one, but only for insomniacs!

Karen in Boise

[Kitsune06]

Interesting thought- 'til now, it hadn't really occurred to me that you don't really see bike commercials.

Advertising during events, though, is like preaching to the choir. Everyone who's there already has SOME kind of bike, and no amt. of advertising is going to sway those with a definite brand loyalty.

I think the general American consensus is that it's an accepted lifestyle; everyone knows we exist, and it makes them look friendlier to 'accept' us or feature us in their ads, but God forbid they have to respect our rights.
Put that way, it sounds like the general consensus on a lot of things.