It’s interesting to see how often bikes turn in adverts for other products, as a visual trigger to suggest how sporty or environmentally friendly the product is. For example have a look at this Land Rover ad:
As you can see a bike turns up around half way through. Now I’m no expert but I’m taking the overall feel of the ad to be that the owner of the big fat four-by-four can customise not just their car, but the world around them – and that the fancy Land Rover will be able to tackle anything that’s thrown at them without a shudder. Bearing in mind that as the car starts to overtake the bike the ground is flat and then as it passed it suddenly gets altered to be a ridiculous uphill gradient, my reading of it is that Land Rover drivers will do all they can to make life as hard as possible for cyclists they meet, even going as far as to make a pleasant ride around a contour into a tough grinding climb, if they possibly can.
Now I’m not saying that I’m right about the vision behind this advert but I think every cyclist out there might have a story of an expensive four-by-four making life hard for them, so perhaps I’m not far off?
Talking of squeezing a bike into an inappropriate marketing opportunity, I noticed that Target in the US have a new range designed by Liberty of London. The range includes this florally decorated bike which seems to perfectly catapult it into the bike press and ride a wave of fashionable city cycling to help promote a collaboration which might otherwise have been overlooked. The question of buying a bike from a department store (however pretty it is) is an entirely separate issue.
If all this cynical marketing is too much for you, then escape to your garden (assuming you have one) and combine two relaxing pastimes; mowing the lawn and riding a bike. Not sure how you can push the mower without risking falling off the bike and shredding your hand? Never fear, as an answer is, as ever, here. I think it looks like absolutely the most fun you can have while mowing the lawn.
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Just watched this advert in a state of incredulity is that you on the bike 'A' is it? Well IS IT!?? Your writing this blog posing as one of us and all the while helping them shift bloody big Chelsea tractors, EXACTLY what we don't want. Then you have the audacity to post your fossil fuel guzzling, earth destroyer, death bringing car advert on a bike blog site! Now you've taken their silver shilling you can never come back. GOOD RIDDANCE
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