#1050

Tired of the depressing cycling news that's made its way into the mainstream media?
Let's have some frivolous fun..... And also introduce a new feature that will be a regular distraction here at C.A.N.R.S.

Advertising for Rockstars!
A look at the adverts aimed straight at the cycling demographic.

First up, the Worst of the Season award:

This goes to an entire concept, an entire series of ads from Pearl Izumi. No doubt you have seen them, here they are:











 and worse then worse:


 This is not the first time Pearl Izumi ventured into such waters... This ad:


was run a year ago in publications outside the USA. Same basic concept but much simpler and 300% more effective. The lesson for advertisers is clear; suggested acts of intercourse are very hard to pull off in cycling publications.
Actually, that statement can be clarified;

In a magazine with over 90% male readership, showing dudes during the fuzzy tingle times is just plain gag-inducing. 

To prove the point, this ad, from the same series, hits the target much better (thanks to humor):












 Moving from last place up, we have an ad run by the Performance bike retail chain:



This ad, obviously conceived AND photographed in-house misses the mark so badly it almost succeeds based on irony and sarcasm. Lets dissect this advertisement a little more closely:

It's no secret that Performance is the McDonalds of the specialty bike shop world, and if all they choose to display in ads is Fuji's and out of focus Focus's, it's gonna stay that way.

Moving on to something a little more respectable:











This ad was probably produced for pennies. In this case, you get what you pay for. It's a good example of bike people coming up with a killer concept but then ushering it down half-assed street all the way to completion. 
 
And this brings us to the Best of Show award for the season:




This ad, probably done all in house at Rotor HQ by a photoshop wiz, is simple, fun to look at, understandable and an effective use of an athlete. Johan is no Thor in the world of cycling star-dom so there's no need to make him into some type of gladiator or chef. But.... the dude did win Paris Roubaix so he has some clout now. A very strong endorsement of Rotor Rings and an advertisement well done.

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