TV & Radio Campaign.
I’m sure by now you have become aware of the current ‘Think Bike – Think Biker’ campaign running on TV & Radio in the UK.
For some time ‘bikers’ have been deemed anonymous by other road users, often hidden behind dark visors or blaring headlights. The current campaign serves to give each biker a personality and therefore an identity. The radio ads include a short pen picture of the rider before asking us to watch out for him or her.
The TV ads depict the riders and bikes surrounded by large flashing neon signs showing their name and character traits. ie. ‘Andy- Shy Retiring Type’.
This £3.5m campaign launched by Transport Minister Paul Clark shows a radical change to the normal ‘Think Bike’ campaigns of the past, after research showed that drivers are more likely to notice riders on the road if they know them personally.
The ads seek to put the motorcyclist at the centre of the campaign in a bid to encourage drivers to see the person behind the visor. Motorcyclists only account for 1% of road users but make up 19% of road deaths.
At 1st Class Rider Training-Cardiff we support this campaign and I believe that to give the otherwise anonymous rider a character and a personality will help drivers acknowledge and be more aware of our presence, hopefully without the need for us to wear or names on our jackets and carry large flashing neon signs.
Also in the pipeline is a further campaign aimed at new riders. The ‘Be alive on the Road’ campaign is aimed at encouraging new riders to wear protective clothing and to take further training.