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German Government Spends $450,000 On A Bold Cycling Safety Campaign, But Not Everyone Likes It
$450,000. That’s how much the German transport ministry is reported to have spent on a bold cycling safety campaign. The ads from the country’s transport ministry carry the slogan “Looks like shit. But saves my life.” One of the biggest names in the advert is Alicija Köhler, a competitor in the gameshow Germany’s Next Topmodel. Like the other models, she’s wearing only a colored helmet and a lacy bra. And that is the main reason why some have been criticizing the entire campaign.
Image credits: bmvi
Image credits: bmvi
“It is embarrassing, stupid and sexist for the transport minister to be selling his policies using naked skin,” Maria Noichl, an MEP and the chairwoman of Germany’s Social Democrats women’s wing, told Bild am Sonntag. The family minister, Franziska Giffey, joined her in saying a few harsh words about the transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, of the conservative CSU party. She posted a picture of herself rocking a business suit and a helmet while riding her bicycle, writing: “Dear Andreas Scheuer: fully dressed also goes well with a helmet!”
Image credits: bmvi
Image credits: bmvi
Defending the campaign, a transport ministry spokesman said: “A successful road safety campaign should jolt people and can be polarising.” And while the images were going viral on social media, they sparked at least a few discussions including sexism and cycling. Andreas Scheuer, Germany’s transport minister, said the campaign is meant to counter the notion that helmets are unattractive—something studies have cited as one reason why young people don’t wear them while riding. Also, people are saying that the campaign fails the definition of sexism because it features a diverse group of models of both sexes.
Image credits: bmvi
Image credits: bmvi
According to the Transport Ministry, the posters will line bicycle paths in major German cities and will cost about 400,000 euros, or about $450,000. However, injuries to cyclists have become a problem in Germany. In 2018, 432 cyclists died in accidents, according to ADAC, a German automobile association. That’s 50 more than the year before. Cyclists aren’t required to wear a helmet in Germany — 40 percent of riders under age 30 do not even own one, and only 8 percent of riders aged 17 to 30 wear one, according to a poll commissioned by the Transport Ministry.
Image credits: bmvi
Image credits: bmvi
Image credits: bmvi
RELATED:
People had a lot to say about the campaign
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Image credits: bmvi
What do you think ?
Random Panda 5 years ago
Can people stop trying to use sex to sell everything and anything? It works for some things, but lately everything has become so hypersexualized it's annoying as hell. Now seeing an ad that objectifies people unnecessarily just makes me not want to buy whatever it's trying to promote.
DP von Icecream 5 years ago
This has been going on EVER since the human species could write & draw! From bloody hieroglyphics, roman latin all the way even to cave men paintings :-/ I think you are probably some alien from the flat earth planet ;-)
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Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Why not show people in stylish cute helmets? Saying it looks like s**t won’t convince anyone to wear it, and the lack of other clothing distracts from the message.
Mathias 5 years ago
The message is one thing, to reach the target audience another one. Now what was the goal? It was to make people, especially young ones think about waring a helmet. And since everybody talks about the add and it's topic now that goal is perfectly achieved. Yes one could have made stylisch pictures in stylisch helmets, nobody would have talked about it. Same if they had just ordinary daily clothing or a more formal message. Advertisement doesn't work like a book to read, it much more targets the emotions. The best psychologists of this planet work in the add business.
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Clematis 5 years ago
I feel like, if it works, if it gets people to wear helmets so be it. I know I'll get downvoted for saying this, but I don't find this very offensive. Is it somewhat stupid of an idea? Sure, I think we can all agree that there are other (and better) ways. But whatever works.
Sierra Hall 5 years ago
To me they are wanting to grab the public's attention. They pulled it off.
Load More Replies... Random Panda 5 years ago
Can people stop trying to use sex to sell everything and anything? It works for some things, but lately everything has become so hypersexualized it's annoying as hell. Now seeing an ad that objectifies people unnecessarily just makes me not want to buy whatever it's trying to promote.
DP von Icecream 5 years ago
This has been going on EVER since the human species could write & draw! From bloody hieroglyphics, roman latin all the way even to cave men paintings :-/ I think you are probably some alien from the flat earth planet ;-)
Load More Replies... Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Why not show people in stylish cute helmets? Saying it looks like s**t won’t convince anyone to wear it, and the lack of other clothing distracts from the message.
Mathias 5 years ago
The message is one thing, to reach the target audience another one. Now what was the goal? It was to make people, especially young ones think about waring a helmet. And since everybody talks about the add and it's topic now that goal is perfectly achieved. Yes one could have made stylisch pictures in stylisch helmets, nobody would have talked about it. Same if they had just ordinary daily clothing or a more formal message. Advertisement doesn't work like a book to read, it much more targets the emotions. The best psychologists of this planet work in the add business.
Load More Replies... Clematis 5 years ago
I feel like, if it works, if it gets people to wear helmets so be it. I know I'll get downvoted for saying this, but I don't find this very offensive. Is it somewhat stupid of an idea? Sure, I think we can all agree that there are other (and better) ways. But whatever works.
Sierra Hall 5 years ago
To me they are wanting to grab the public's attention. They pulled it off.
Load More Replies...
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