Have you seen the latest TV ad from the "nations biggest cycle seller"

[jonny jeez]

Pity the main messages I got from it were that:
- cyclists are angry,
- unreasonably aggressive, even with each other,
- are litter-louts,
- don't care about anything but themselves,
- have no respect for others, and,
- have an arrogant yet desperate need to be the first at everything

... in fact are totally sad people....
...but hey, it's only an advert and I'm sure non-cyclists will appreciate the subliminal reinforcement.

Couldn't agree more, I really HATE this advert. It puts back cycling...decades perhaps. It marginalises people into subsections and then takes the P1ss out of each section ending on the message that the six year old kid knows more than them. Anyone who was just starting to see cycling as an inclusive, interesting, positive and perhapos sexy sport is now well and truly put off.

Well done Halfords...what total numbties you are!

I especially hate the lycra lout impression, the safety geek stereotype, the "Hardcore" MTBer and the message/encouragement that's its okay to scare riders into crashing off the road, simply because they are not in your "group"... cause its a giggle innit!

I cannot believe that Halfords are happy to insult their ONLY audience in this way.

Totally crap advice from whoever commissioned this ad, Halfwits Halfords deserve to see their business fail with this approach, I suspect a 10 year, old who understood cycling, could of written a better campaign that keyed into the growing surge in popularity and inclusiveness that cycling is was enjoying...I know I could have done.

Sigh

 

[jonny jeez]

Really you thought all that about the advert. A little OTT. Why not just take what the advert was designed as " Everyone can Cycle" and light hearted.

I think you need to watch it again, then ask why they are dropping the price of their bikes by 50%

 

[youngoldbloke]

Couldn't agree more, I really HATE this advert. It puts back cycling...decades perhaps. It marginalises people into subsections and then takes the P1ss out of each section ending on the message that the six year old kid knows more than them. Anyone who was just starting to see cycling as an inclusive, interesting, positive and perhapos sexy sport is now well and truly put off.

Well done Halfords...what total numbties you are!

I especially hate the lycra lout impression, the safety geek stereotype, the "Hardcore" MTBer and the message/encouragement to scare riders into crashng off the road, simply because they are not in your "group"... cause its a giggle innit!

I cannot believe that Halfords are happy to insult their ONLY audience in this way.

Totally crap advice from whoever commissioned this ad, Halfwits Halfords deserve to see their business fail with this approach, I suspect a 10 year, old who understood cycling, could of written a better campaign that keyed into the growing surg in popularity and inclusiveness that cycling is was enjoying...I know I could have done.

Sigh

Pretty much sums up my feelings too. Message seems to be: 'Weird people, and kids, ride bikes'

 

[jonny jeez]

but I'm in one of those oversensitive phases about riding a bike right now.

I don't think you are. I suspect your gut reaction was bang on.

 

[Matthew_T]

Its no good having a popular advert when the services and products they sell are still sh*t.

 

[martint235]

I saw it for the first time last night. To be honest I just thought "Bikes". It's amazing how much people can read into a simple advert just so they've got somehting to get upset about.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I like it. It comes across more as an advert for cycling than for Halfords. It's fun and inclusive and it may get a few more people interested in getting out on a bike.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Its no good having a popular advert when the services and products they sell are still sh*t.

I think it stands as an indictment of cycling generally. I have no particular love for Halfords, my experiences with them being mediocre at best but I think this advert is good. It shows cycling as an activity for everybody. Which it is.

 

[Archie_tect]

Just goes to show we're all different.

 

[jonny jeez]

Its no good having a popular advert when the services and products they sell are still sh*t.

I'm not sure that's particularly fair, some Halfords stuff is pretty good and many of their staff are well trained, but they do employ cheap labour (usually school leavers and the like) and that will come at a cost as they learn the job before moving on to a "proper" bike shop

 

[jonny jeez]

I saw it for the first time last night. To be honest I just thought "Bikes". It's amazing how much people can read into a simple advert just so they've got somehting to get upset about.

Trust me, I don't go looking for things to get upset about, that's about as far away from my psyche as you can get...but this ad is just awful.

I think what winds me up the most is that a huge brand, with such a gigantic position in the market...perhaps in the UK in general and it still has no idea about cycling.

 

[Risex4]

Trust me, I don't go looking for things to get upset about, that's about as far away from my psyche as you can get...but this ad is just awful.

I think what winds me up the most is that a huge brand, with such a gigantic position in the market...perhaps in the UK in general and it still has no idea about cycling.

Perhaps because the mass market they generally target are also - if I may be so snobbish - equally ignorant?

Everything about Halfords - the quality (and as a result, the price point. Perhaps more fairly, the specs) of their merchandise, their service proposition, the focus of their advertising, its all aimed at the lowest common denominator. Namely kids on bikes, Summer Sunday riders and very casual/new starters who may not even be aware of the wealth of LBS available as a 'better' alternative.

And to be fair, the elitist and intimidatory nature of a lot of LBS does make Halfords the better option for a lot of the above mentioned people.

If Halfords really wanted to, they could reposition themselves as a true specialist destination (a 'proper' bike shop if you will) in no time at all; tweak the ranges, change the image/adverts to a more serious/"professional"/slightly less fun-family-orientated look, invest a bit more in staff training and retention... and blow a lot of LBS away in the process.

The reason I'm guessing they don't is that appealing to and providing for the bulk and volume of the aforementioned lowest common is just more profitable.

The advert simply isn't aimed at us.

 

[G3CWI]

Perhaps because the mass market they generally target are also - if I may be so snobbish - equally ignorant?

Everything about Halfords - the quality (and as a result, the price point. Perhaps more fairly, the specs) of their merchandise, their service proposition, the focus of their advertising, its all aimed at the lowest common denominator. Namely kids on bikes.

Ahh yes. All those kids on their Boardman bikes.

 

[jonny jeez]

Perhaps because the mass market they generally target are also - if I may be so snobbish - equally ignorant?

Everything about Halfords - the quality (and as a result, the price point. Perhaps more fairly, the specs) of their merchandise, their service proposition, the focus of their advertising, its all aimed at the lowest common denominator. Namely kids on bikes, Summer Sunday riders and very casual/new starters who may not even be aware of the wealth of LBS available as a 'better' alternative.

And to be fair, the elitist and intimidatory nature of a lot of LBS does make Halfords the better option for a lot of the above mentioned people.

If Halfords really wanted to, they could reposition themselves as a true specialist destination (a 'proper' bike shop if you will) in no time at all; tweak the ranges, change the image/adverts to a more serious/"professional"/slightly less fun-family-orientated look, invest a bit more in staff training and retention... and blow a lot of LBS away in the process.

The reason I'm guessing they don't is that appealing to and providing for the bulk and volume of the aforementioned lowest common is just more profitable.

The advert simply isn't aimed at us.

I know what you mean but I disagree.

I suspect Halfords unique offering is its attractiveness to "new" riders. Some of which may of course be kids but the growing masses are middle aged types with a good deal of disposable income.

In my mind they could have written a fantastic campaign that built on this position and harvested all of those types that are smitten by the *idea* of riding but find all those "proper" bike shops a little intimidating or perhaps too full on for their tastes..

 

[martint235]

I know what you mean but I disagree.

I suspect Halfords unique offering is its attractiveness to "new" riders. Some of which may of course be kids but the growing masses are middle aged types with a good deal of disposable income.

In my mind they could have written a fantastic campaign that built on this position and harvested all of those types that are smitten by the *idea* of riding but find all those "proper" bike shops a little intimidating or perhaps too full on for their tastes..

I agree with risex4 though, they've gone for their market. To cater for the middle masses with large disposable incomes would involved repositioning themselves as a high end retailer rather than where they are now. That's a whole different ball game than just one advert.

If you have £1500 to spend on a bike, are you going to Halfords? If that advert showed lots of MAMILs on £300 bikes sold by Halfords, would you have changed your mind?