BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I think what they are trying to say is that driving that vehicle is a much more calm experience and keeps you connected while in order to get there as fast on a bike you have to ride like a maniac.

i hope that biker totally gets what coming to him.

Top Gear (A british tv series) did this in London with the same Mercedes, but against public transit and a boat in addition to a bicyclist who stopped at lights (but still went between cars). The cyclist won by a few minutes over the boat, public transit came in maybe 5 minutes later and the Mercedes was 15 minutes behind public transit!

Re: Top Gear. I remember that one. The guy on the bike was complaining that he had to stop at signals because they were filming him.

I love Top Gear challenges. I want to see a race between a pedicab, a Koenigsegg CCXR, and a PAT bus, across downtown Pittsburgh.

yeah, it definitely is out to make biking look dangerous, illegal and high intensity (like only for bike messenger types).

It seems to me they want to make sure more drivers aren't going to get enticed out of their cars.

Really? I think the shots look lie they were intended to make biking look exciting.

yeah exciting in a "can I do this and not get killed" kind of way. All I'm saying is it's yet another message that bikes are for guys, sporty types, messengers...not regular people (and women, people over 35, the moderately fit) running errands, commuting to work, enjoying a nice day.

I can agree with that. Though, I think the significant point is that Mercedes has recognized bike culture (although, only a small section of it).

They are admitting that cycling in a city is going to get you there faster, but are trying to frame it as something only the fringe can do. At the end the driver doesn't care because he had this fantastic drive through the city. The reality is he would be frustrated and stressed out the entire time.

Another take is, "why would you bike in the cold and risk your life when you can have heated seats and cup holders?"

"They are admitting that cycling in a city is going to get you there faster, but are trying to frame it as something only the fringe can do. At the end the driver doesn't care because he had this fantastic drive through the city. The reality is he would be frustrated and stressed out the entire time."

I don't think they are trying to say the driver doesn't care. Throughout the video (when he is stuck in traffic) he shows he wants to beat him. And at the end I think it was a nice, "good game" kind of attitude.

Another take is, "why would you bike in the cold and risk your life when you can have heated seats and cup holders?"

If that is what they were trying to portray, it would be composed of shots showing the biker almost getting killed, making extremely defensive maneuvers, and they would show things like rain and the dialog would be focused on how the biker must be miserable.

For one of the first times I have ever seen, an "exclusive" automotive brand has stuck their heads out to the subject of biking without attacking cyclists. Some how all you guys can see is a possible negative side.

From a marketing side, think about who they are trying to target with this. You think they are trying to target car-obsessed, anti-bike, suburbanites or young, progressive, gen y'ers?

If they were trying to go after the first, they did a horrible job. Making a Youtube specific video highlighting urban New York, and showing a bicycle messenger's extreme riding style was a direct attempt to attract the later.

If they were trying to make bicycling look dangerous, they would use a lot more first person shots and less low angles.

All that being said, I think their biggest goal was to create a viral video. Look at the parallelism between theirs and this :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au0Zjn3eB9k

the mercedes guy looked like he was coming from Jersey all smooth, while the cyclist is in the maddening manhattan traffic "breaking all the rules." Is that who drives mercedes, rule breakers?

They should have shot a tweed rider on a penny farthing taking the east river bikeway upto the williamsburg bridge. Strolls up to the mercedes guy smoking a pipe... fin.

Um. Guys, they're not trying to convince people to drive an MB SUV instead of riding a bike. They're just trying to convince people to buy an MB SUV instead of a Lexus or a BMW. It's not supposed to be an anti-cycling propaganda video. In fact, it's supposed to exploit existing cultural tropes -- stepping outside of the things that the viewers already take for granted would undercut their message.

re: TopGear....that episode was fantastic (as most of them are).

This is no different than what BMW did years ago with BMW films, only here instead of showing a stunt driver driving their SUV they show a normal guy living a normal urban life. They make driving an SUV in NYC the normal thing one would do and riding a bike into an extreme sport. It's entertainment, but in my opinion there is a deliberate message there.

If it was really just supposed to be a time trial and for fun they would have shot it in real time.

This is of course just what I took from it. No one is wrong here.

It's a lot different than the BMW films. The only similarities are they are both internet only videos shot in cities to promote car companies.

What is significant is that they used a bicycle. They could have used a motorcycle (I'd love to see some supermotard action), but the video would have appealed to a completely different demographic.

+1 for rspake.

The biker is illegal and dumbf*ck dangerous, then at the end they talk about cupholders and heated seats.

MY bike has cupholders.

That Mercedes sax music? That is how I roll.

"Wanna sit in the car?" The cage? No thanks. I like the fresh air.

Back up and think about how anti-cycling the thing *could* have been. The SUV driver and the cyclist were friendly to each other and shared a coffee. That is a very positive message.

An alternate ending, left on the cutting room floor no doubt, had the biker responding to the driver asking about the seat warmer by asking "What's your monthly payment?" and "Wait, you have to pay how much just for a parking space?"

The reality is he would be frustrated and stressed out the entire time.

Agreed--if he is driving on Sunday mornings only, he may have a reasonably pleasant drive, otherwise it will

They make driving an SUV in NYC the normal thing one would do and riding a bike into an extreme sport. It's entertainment, but in my opinion there is a deliberate message there.

I have a good number of friends living in New York and none of them has a car of any sort, much less a big, expensive SUV. The story may be different in the Outer Boroughs, but owning a car in Manhattan is a very expensive proposition on all levels, and ultimately not necessary given the subway and other transit options.

That said, the premise of the video (national marketing campaign, a crosstown race where the bike wins) makes New York one of very few places where it's possible to set the video.

Back up and think about how anti-cycling the thing *could* have been. The SUV driver and the cyclist were friendly to each other and shared a coffee. That is a very positive message.

Very good point. But I don't like the presumption that "of course he's breaking all the traffic rules!" Maybe stopping at red lights tips the balance to the car and the premise of the video disintegrates, but it's not a completely positive depiction.

I don't like the presumption either, and I wish it weren't so taken for granted, but the glove fits.

I don't think that you'd have to run the red lights to beat a car across town -- I think that splitting lanes and filtering through the gridlock would be enough of an advantage. Anybody want to go to NYC for an experiment?

'Course, if he had a folder and took it on the subway...

(aside: I watched that thing paying careful attention to the lighting and the shadows. I had a hard time figuring out what time and day of the week it all was, but it looks like it took "Guy" about 4 hours to answer his phone call.)

Um. Guys, they're not trying to convince people to drive an MB SUV instead of riding a bike. They're just trying to convince people to buy an MB SUV instead of a Lexus or a BMW.

+1

Copenhagenize has a take.

Hmm, I don't know--I think they're reading too much into it. Are they really targeting urban bike commuters? Are there really committed bike commuters, or even would be commuters, that would watch that video and say "by golly, why ever am I riding my bike when I could drive one of those?"

I'm with Lyle (and Nick)--this is just a well-executed viral ad to get people who are on the fence about what car they are going to buy to buy a Benz.

What happens when the mercedes isn't a gas guzzling SUV, but an eco-friendly, no-emission electric mercedes? Will we still come away from these commercials believing that cars are for everyone and bikes are for thrill seeking, smug, white doods with black rim glasses?

Dude on the bike didn't have to drive his MB to the gym to work out though...

Also, if I may, just look at all those cars. What are people in Manhattan thinking? They've got massive public transit, reasonable distances, and they are all driving around? Sheesh... I suppose it is a car sad but still.

eco-friendly, no-emission electric mercedes

You mean except for the eco-unfriendly, high-emission power generation plants?

bikes are for thrill seeking, smug, white doods with black rim glasses?

That guy was much too pretty to be a messenger, wasn't he?

What are people in Manhattan thinking? They've got massive public transit, reasonable distances, and they are all driving around?

I don't think the people who are driving around Manhattan quite fit the model you're thinking of, but I don't have time to explain now ... I'll do it over beer sometime.

I don't think the people who are driving around Manhattan quite fit the model you're thinking of

Indeed they don't and perhaps I should have said "they are all being driven around?" My point was impossibly utopian, they shouldn't be using cars. A bicycle is the optimal mode of transit in New York. But I'm just a crazy dreamer/nut....

What are people in Manhattan thinking? They've got massive public transit, reasonable distances, and they are all driving around?

Because they live in Harriman NY or New Haven CT or even East Stroudsburg PA, and figure if they've driven that far, why bother with transit.

Because they live in Harriman NY or New Haven CT or even East Stroudsburg PA, and figure if they've driven that far, why bother with transit.

Don't know about Harriman or East Stroudsburg, but from New Haven they could have taken a train. Again, I realize I am delusional. It was just a reaction to the film.

@bjanaszek You mean the clean coal power plants that are run by kittens and emit lavender fragrance from their refuse piles and gob ponds?

Yes!

I know Austin, the guy riding, and he's a totally awesome stand-up guy.

I think the video is pretty stupid.

oh austin...

i think the video is silly, especially the part about not following traffic rules - "is he following the rules of the road" "of course not!" because drivers always follow the rules.

i don't think it was trying to sell cars to urban cyclists. i think it was saying you can still be cool and "down" if you buy this car.

the mercedes guy looked like he was coming from Jersey all smooth

as a native of jersey, this made me laugh.

We haven't realy analyzed the role of the guy in the command center either...why did the power fail right at that crucial moment?

some sort of computer failure. maybe the same bug that toyota has

Power outage from people charging their electric cars?

Power outage from people charging their electric cars?

Maybe the kittens got tired?

i don't think it was trying to sell cars to urban cyclists. i think it was saying you can still be cool and "down" if you buy this car.

I don't think they were necessarily targeting urban cyclists, but they are definitely targeting the gen-y hipster.

I know the video made this v-neck and black rimmed glasses wearing, red light waiting, stop sign stopping cyclist want a Mercedes. Not a GLK, maybe a 190E Evolution...

I'll take an A-class, 3 dr diesel, 64 mpg. Oh, forgot, can't get one.