The Life-Sized City Blog

Should car manufacturers be forced to include health warnings on their products? Read about that idea here . Addendum: 19.07.2013. Yesterday, two gentleman from Citroën Denmark knocked on the door. In Danish, a sudden, unannounced visit is called "fransk visit" or French visit, so that was appropriate. They were from the marketing department and they wanted to discuss, of course, the parody commercial that we had whipped together to highlight the fact that car commercials never reflect reality or fact. We weren't suprised to hear from Citroën, but their personal visit was an interesting twist. A good, strategic move in a social media age where sober Cease & Desist letters get blogged in 4 seconds. I invited them in, of course, and we had a pleasant chat on the sofa. They wanted, of course, the parody commercial removed. No surprise. They were sent from headquarters in Paris, who saw the parody on a Turkish blog. They had also sent an email that morning, b...

Oh those Hungarians. Once again, they show the world that they are leaders in the area of bicycle promotion. Here's the latest film from the Hungarian Cyclists' Club 's Bike to Work campaign - or " Bringázz a munkába " if you want to get all Magyar-esque. The cycling NGO has an ongoing relationship with global advertising firm Young & Rubicam , who have produced some of the films. Something the rest of the geeky bicycle advocacy world can learn from. Mainstream marketing is the key. Taking this product called "urban cycling" and selling it to the 99%. Selling the simplicty of urban cycling instead of overcomplicating it. The good people at the Hungarian Cyclists Club know that sub-cultural marketing is not an effective way to sell a mainstream product. Unlike many other NGOs around the world who are seemingly intent on merely trying recruit new members to their clique, the Hungarians see the big picture and go after it year after year after ye...

I cannot be alone in enjoying the irony of this mobile, bike advert in the heart of Dublin, selling car rental.

This is what we like to see when we check our inbox after a summer holiday. A colleague at the Norwegian Road Directorate attached this poster from the city of Trondheim in an email. Beautiful. It advertises the opening of a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge in the city that links two neighbourhoods - Lade and Dalen. The text reads: "Old Love Never Rusts" "They met at the Student Club. He had brylcreem in his hair and danced swing like a god. She looked a little like Grace Kelly. But she was from Lade and he was from Dalen. Then they met again, in the middle of the bridge." "We have reunited Lade and Dalen." "We're building a safer and more secure bicycle city" Two neighourhoods separated by railway lines and roads are now reunited, thanks to a new bridge - Dalenbrua. Mobility is improved. More convenient and safer for bicycle users and pedestrians. Not a dry eye in the house. Well done, Trondheim. The link was financed ...

This is a recycled campaign that returns regularly but we approve of it simply because it places the responsibility on the motorists. No ignoring the bull in society's china shop here. "Catch the cyclist with your eyes - not your door" is what it says. These car doors are on posts in various locations. This one was captured by Sandra from the brilliant Classic Copenhagen blog . Sure, people get doored anywhere there are cars and that includes Copenhagen. I know a few people who have experienced it by I personally have been lucky to never have been even close to it in 17 years in Copenhagen. Motorists know to watch for cyclists, to expect them. I know that in the few times I've been in a car with my kids (my kids spend about five hours in a car each year), you always find yourself saying "watch for bikes" when they're getting out. It's a mantra that every kid hears. When getting out of cars, crossing the street, at bus stops, you name it. Iro...

When I first saw this campaign from Italian carmaker FIAT I was convinced that we had a contender for our Car Industry Strikes Back series . Then I realised it was a campaign for drinking and driving. The text, in Portugese, reads. "Now you see it. Now you don't". Simple and effective marketing. Here's the film version of it. And more info about the campaign is available here, in Portugese . Thanks to Eduardo for the link.

The Hungarians do it again. New advert for Bike to Workk campaign. As we've said before, the Hungarians are world champions in promoting cycling positively - check out this previous article about it . The message on this new one is, quite simply: "You can cure your lack of exercise. Bike to Work!" Cool style. Go, Hungary! Thanks to Aron at Hungarian Cycle Chic for the link.

It's be three and half years since I first blogged this video, made by students at the Dutch Film and TV Academy. I'm surprised it only has 5424 views on YouTube. It deserves so much more. The dialogue goes like this: Motorist is shown an ink blot. Doctor: What do you see? Motorist: Car. Doctor: (Voiceover): The first phase is denial. Motorist: Car. Motorist watches bicycle films. Doctor: (Voiceover) You have to present the addict with the cure for the problem. Motorist gets onto stationary bicycle. Doctor: (Voiceover) Then they have to take their own initiative. Motorist outside on bicycle. Doctor: (Voiceover) When they can do it on their own, we'll let them go. Car addiction (or slavery) is a underestimated problem. We have to help these people. Doctor's last line: Yeah, somebody has to do something about traffic jams. Then there's this one. Italian asks how the guy got there today and replies, "Bicycle". Italian men laugh....

Might just be me and my secret wish for nicer photography, but it seems that there is an increase in imagery in the Danish press featuring bicycles. Or rather, an increase in the quality of the imagery. I've noticed one national daily, Berlingske Tidende (founded 1749) upping their artistic sensibilities of late. Like the photo, above, taken in Aalborg yesterday morning. It's a simple article about the weather but it features a cyclist rolling on the bike lane in the snow (past all the cars on the road, of course). The temperature was about -10 C, with a wicked windchill. Then there was this weather article from late last year about rain and wind. Beautiful shot. Like all of these photos, showing cyclists adds a human element to the story. In a country like Denmark we can relate to the weather when we see a fellow citizen struggling through the elements on a bicycle. The same newspaper used to have Bicycle Weather included on their weather page in their print version. Showing...

Readers may recall Copenhagenize's call for logical campaigns - why not legislation - for health warning on cars , like the ones we see on cigarette packets. This features in the talk I give in many cities: Four Goals for Promoting Urban Cycling. It always gets a laugh and often gets a mention in the press coverage of the talks. You can then imagine my thrill upon recieving the following photo from our reader Marián, in the Czech Republic. Look at that. What a billboard. Right there on the left, slapped bravely and boldly onto a gridlock photo is the health warning label for the new millenium. It reads, in Czech, "Driving a car harms you and your environment" Brilliant. Okay, it's a Czech Bicycle Industry advert at the Bike Brno 2010 Expo and not a government campaign but hey... this is a brilliant start. And much needed in the Czech Republic. Prague is a black hole on the map regarding urban cycling. Bicycles are returning to the strangest cities these days, but Prag...

Week in and week out I get inundated with emails from people who want to advertise either here on Copenhagenize.com or over at Cycle Chic . It's quite amazing that most of the emails are for products that have nothing to do what I write about or take pictures about. Goes to show that one pops up in a Google search and the person in question doesn't bother to do their research. Even after writing posts like this at Cycle Chic , or this one , two days later I get an email from someone wanted to pay to advertise their "cycling trousers" for urban cycling. "Avoid chafing and wear and tear!" Oh bother, as Winnie the Pooh would say. Anyway, this email arrived today, from China. Perhaps the products are of interest to some of you, out there. Seriously. Maybe Carlton can get cheaper lycra gear for his I Pay Road Tax cycling clothes or some of you out there want to get some kit for your local club. Who knows. Being multilingual and having made major embarassing faux...

Recently the Danish State Railways [DSB] announced that bikes are now free on all the S-Trains in the Greater Copenhagen area. It was pretty big news here but DSB launched a comprehensive campaign to let the people know about it. On the busiest bicycle street in the western world, Nørrebrogade, they put up a mock S-train carriage on the bike lane. The morning bicycle rush hour on this street, which averages 38,000 cyclists a day, would find it hard to miss the advertising campaign. Whether people rode through the train tunnel or past it. On this stretch the bike lanes are double wide, around 5 metres. When the cyclists stopped at the red light up ahead, they were given a brochure about the fact that bikes are now free on the trains, as well as a free ticket for the train. Rather cool. Print adverts in a variety of themes about the new initiative feature prominently in the city these days. This advert on an outdoor ashtray, featuring beer glasses as wheels, reads: "Invite your bic...

Ignoring the bull in society's china shop is nothing new. The Danish Road Safety Council have been protecting car culture since at least 1957. Above is their magazine called Watch Out! Inside the magazine there is even an advert for reflective clothing. "Cyclist and Pedestrian! Protect yourself and your children! Buy Pasma traffic safety clothing with reflective strips. These strips will warn cars and motorcycles of your presence at a distance of several hundred metres. Pasma clothes are available across the country. See demonstrations of the outerwear and trousers at your closest retailer." "One must be able to see the danger in order to avoid it. Therefore The Danish Road Safety Council recommends Pasma." You'd think that we would have learned a lot about traffic calming and reducing the danger that cars and motorists pose to pedestrians and cyclists in all the years since 1957. Alas, Bubble Wrap Society lives on and politicians continue to embrace the ...

This Danish advert promoting everyday cycling is from 1995. It's interesting from a marketing perspective and not a little rare. Usually well-known racing cyclists are enlisted to sell 'gear' and cycling as a sport. This advert features the Danish racing cyclist Jesper Skibby . By the way, he's the only Dane and one of few professional cyclists to have won stages in the Big Three - Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana. In Danish the Vuelta is called Spanien Rundt, or All Around Spain. The advert rhymes in Danish so my translations are often rendered lame but here goes: " It's hard to ride all around Spain [hard to ride the Vuelta is what that means]" " And healthy to ride all year round " Next to Jesper is the text " Jesper Skibby, winner of the 9th stage of the Vuelta a Espana ". I like the way that a racing cyclist and an everyday cyclist - in the form of the iconic Cycling Girl so well known in Danish history -...

The Car Empire strikes back again. My friend Troels found this Volkswagen advert in an glossy book about great advertising campaigns from around the world. In it, Volkswagen are keen to show off various features on their cars. In this case, Energy-Absorbing Door Padding. To illustrate this exciting feature, they highlight one of the great irritations that motorists face in the urban environment, visible at just left of centre in the photo. Fortunately for the motorist getting out of his fine vehicle he has invested in German engineering to reduce potential damage to his vehicle. Nevermind that he didn't bother to check his mirror before getting out or that the inattentive man on the bicycle risks injury from what we are led to assume will be an imminent collison. Energy-absorbing door padding will save the car from too much damage. How does the esteemed panel of readers feel about this photograph/campaign? It's clearly ' ignoring the bull ' and placing responsibility on...

On my recent visit to France I noticed the bicycle on many different adverts and brochures. It's no secret that the bicycle has become high profile in advertising over the past year or so, but there were many positive images. Like this advert for Promod , an online fashion shop. Even on the cardboard sleeve that my room key came in at the hotel in Paris there was a happy cycling couple. At Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, an advert for HSBC bank featured Asian urban cyclists. A brochure for the city of La Rochelle. And from elsewhere, these adverts featuring the bicycle: Advert for the clothing company Killah. Tourism brochure for the Swedish province of Skåne [Scania]. Advert for Vodaphone in Prague. Advert for The House of Fraser clothing store in London. All this symbolism is, of course, good. Cementing the bicycle as a normal part of life and not merely reserved for 'enthusiasts'. Are we approaching that all important tipping point in some regions? It seems so. Let...

Placing responsibiliy where it counts. There's something I've been wondering about. I've noticed that the majority of traffic 'safety' campaigns seem to focus on everything except the bull in the china shop - the automobile. It's a global tendency, stemming from the seemingly irreversible prescence of cars and trucks. I find it odd that so few campaigns actually place the focus firmly on the problem: the large, heavy, dangerous machines that rumble about our streets and the people who seem to have difficultly controlling them. The billboard prototype above is a logical illustration of how traffic safety campaigns should be focused. In Frederiksberg , the city in which I live - not surprisingly it is staunchly conservative/right wing - these posters were slapped up recently. It rhymes in Danish, but reads "She checked her text messages, and died in the process." What a stupid girl. Cars are everywhere and they're not going anywhere anytime s...

I think it's safe to say that we have a pressing need for marketing cycling positively if we're to encourage people to ride bicycles and begin the transformation of our cities into more liveable places. Instead of scare campaigns about cycling [a life-extending, healthy, sustainable transport form], wouldn't it be more appropriate to begin campaigns about the dangers of automobiles? Many people in car-centric countries no longer regard cars as dangerous. Maybe they realise it, but the car is such an ingrained part of the culture that the perception of danger rarely rises to the surface of peoples consciousness. Sure, there are scare campaigns for cars out there, but what if we just cut to the chase? Much like smoking. Only a couple of decades ago, cigarettes were an integral part of life, whether you smoked or not. That has changed radically. We think that we could borrow freely from the health warnings now found on cigarette packs around the world. In order to be tho...