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29
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
Image credits: MsKrizz
Image credits: PaulZMay
Image credits: ron611087
Image credits: sweetinsanityx3
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.
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Linouchka 99 5 years ago
Reminds me of this french campaign when it became mandatory to always have a yellow vest in your car. It says "It's yellow, it's ugly, it matches with nothing, but it can save your life." Said by the pope of fashion Karl Lagerfeld... Lagerfeld-...f50c82.jpg 
Smerv 5 years ago
He's a fashion icon and fully clothed. The message is clever and could work with the helmet too
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Sveta Smirnova 5 years ago
Noted on the message. I will wear lingerie and helmet when cycling. What to wear during winter?
Jason Doakes 5 years ago
I am not a fan of the sex sells-philosophy, or rather I can't believe "we" still fall for it...., but I actually took this campaign as an ironic jab at all those beauty-obsessed insta-models, in the spirit of a "stop prioritizing c**p, the greatest priority is your life"-kind of thing
RaroaRaroa 5 years ago
YES. So many people just didn't get it. For starters, how can an ad be sexist when it has both men and women in it? The underwear could have been perhaps glamorous clothing instead, but underwear will catch more attention and that is the aim of advertising. The message is clearly that your brain is more important than your image. If helmets are ugly, get over it.
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Just a Purpler 5 years ago
To be honest I just skipped over this because about 80%+ of the ads I see are all stupid and dishonest anyway. Why is this any different?
Teodora L. Kostadinova 5 years ago
Don't know about you guys, but I love my helmet. Helmets are cool. I'm planning to buy another one that matches my reflective jacket. Also, I had a bike accident some years ago and I wish I had a helmet back then, it could have spared me a nasty concussion.
boredkoala 5 years ago
Agreed, I think mine looks cool! And I never ride without it!
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Laura Habermehl 5 years ago
Showing people in unserwear and a helmt would be like showing a politician without pants. It looks dumb. I've seen some pretty awesome sports photography with helmets. The idea is to get people used to, and accept helmet wearing. Putting helmets on hakf naked models doesnt work and just makes me laugh. 😂
Effseven Six 5 years ago
"Sex sells" is a phrase we all know, and it did, for a very very long time. Not so much anymore, and the companies/campaign runners are slowly but surely figuring that out. The people who did this campaign might take a little longer though lol.
Ben Smith 5 years ago
Are you kidding? Or do you just not watch tv anymore?
Load More Replies... Sara Snyder 5 years ago
the whole point of the campaign was to get your attention. So, whether you liked the content or not, it did it's job.
Magdalina777 5 years ago
That's...actually kinda cool imho. They're clearly targetting a younger auditory there and they want to grab their attention. Whether or not it will make young people reconsider their views on helmets remains to be seen but they're definitely succeeding on 'grab attention' part. And hey...if grabbing someone's attention with hot half naked girls/guys makes them remember a helmet next time they go cycling, why not? Also, it may or may not end up being super effective but I don't see anything incredibly wrong with it. Objectifying women? Oh c'mon. Let's stop using this phrase in any subject that features a woman whatsoever, shall we? I'm a girl and it made me chuckle, I found it amusing if anything(I don't cycle so can't say anything about helmet effect).
Markus W. 5 years ago
The main problem with that campain is the English slogan. A German authority talking to German people in English - that's rediculous.
Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
They can speak English also, and I think they wanted international attention.
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Peter Hall 5 years ago
Never mind, they'll turn up on the catwalk as part of some pretentious collection eventually and you'll see one of the K-clan wearing one. It'll be $2500 and have a Chanel logo on it. Then everyone will be wearing one. Whether they even own a bike or not.
Person2638 5 years ago
This is ridiculous. What were the creators of the ad thinking? "Oh, all the boys will see some pretty half-naked women in helmets and want to wear them too? And oh yeah, let's throw in a man or two for the girls." They could have done the same thing with younger people and more fashionable clothes, since an ad about wearing helmets should also be aimed at kids.
Felicia Dale 5 years ago
Helmets show intelligence, forethought and care not just for the rider wearing it but for their family and friends. Helmets saved my life at least three times. I wouldn't have a face twice over without having worn helmets. WEAR A HELMET.
Christophe Ferreira 5 years ago
I don't see the issue ... Sexy people attract your attention. I also take that as "yeah, you won't look beautiful with a helmet, even those sexy people don't, but at least you'll live".
Bill Scheitzach 5 years ago
If this is a German safety campaign, why is the text in English ... especially since the hashtag is in German? Yes, I know many (if not most) Europeans are multilingual, but still one would expect something like this to read "Sieht wie Scheiße aber rettet mein Leben". Secondly, I don't think 'die Madchen sieht wie Scheiße' one little bit ... with or without the helmet.
comboplush 5 years ago (edited)
Germany’s transport minister: "the campaign is meant to counter the notion that helmets are unattractive" Campaign: "Looks like sh°t (but saves my life)". Mission..accomplished..I guess?
Michał Jastrzębski 5 years ago
yeah, you dont really need to drop tits on the billboard to sell the concept of safety.
George Hudacko 5 years ago
Perfect use of perfect bodies to make sense. Just there were more images of guys to balance out the girls. Objectification is a fact of being a physical object as well as a person-so damn cut that s(*t out of the convo.
Val 5 years ago
As a climber I see a lot of people at the crag not wearing a helmet. I just don't get that. In the two years since I started climbing, I've had twice a piece of rock falling on top of my head. If I wouldn't have been wearing a helmet I would be severely injured. People not wearing helmets while biking, climbing, ... are plain dumb. Safety is not sexy, it's saving your life.
ETHAN BENNETT 5 years ago
"looks like s**t but saves my life" this has sex? how is this encouraging people to wear helmets. this is f****d up
Lingon 5 years ago
I think people that don't wear helmets when cycling, look like the idiots they are. But I guess it's their right to take themselves out of the genpool. ;) When I was a kid, my friends father worked as doctor, something he stopped doing after he one day decided to go on a bike without an helmet. He survived and became the biggest advocate for helmet use and told everyone how much his life had changed. I bike year round, never ever without an helmet, as my brain is my biggest asset and i'm not an idiot.
DP von Icecream 5 years ago
99,99999999% of all the Dutch cyclists would highly disagree with that statement ;-)
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Aurelia Grey 5 years ago
Younger cyclists are going to be checking out the models in their underwear or the shirtless men, that's human nature, wearing a helmet because of these ads? Please.
Victoria Rey Piuma 5 years ago
Completely understandable. This looks like an underwear or safe Sex ad. And no info at all
Elaine Dodge 5 years ago
You're in your underwear, in, on or near a bed with other people in their underwear - it's not a bike helmet you need to save your life it's a condom.
Prideep Vincent 5 years ago
Oh... It was "S**t"... my bad ...i thought the word "S**t" all these while .. :-p
Prideep Vincent 5 years ago
Oh... It was "S**t"... my bad ...i thought the word S**t all these while .. :-p
Crazy Architect 5 years ago
I'm confused. Why did it cost 450K? Looks like it could be done for 450 € in one afternoon.
Marcus Morningstar 5 years ago
to produce flyers and send it to all households maybe had one today in my postbox ...
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Chech Dasaus 5 years ago
Why TF does the government spend money for that. People stew responsible for their own safety. Others won't get hurt when careless bikers smash their heads.
comboplush 5 years ago
1. Role models - the more people wear helmets, the more people will follow to wear helmets 2. lessen the impact of accidents for all involved 3. less money to spend on recovery, as already mentioned 4. public education, creating awareness, allowing people to make an informed choice..? You know, increasing awareness and knowledge and such outlandish concepts.
Load More Replies... 
Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Yeah, it’s stupid. I really don’t get how it’s sexist though. The women are scantily clad but aren’t presented negatively, and there are men shown as well.
Load More Replies...
Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Not so fun for the guy who is going to have to scrape your brains off the road.
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... Linouchka 99 5 years ago
Reminds me of this french campaign when it became mandatory to always have a yellow vest in your car. It says "It's yellow, it's ugly, it matches with nothing, but it can save your life." Said by the pope of fashion Karl Lagerfeld... Lagerfeld-...f50c82.jpg
Smerv 5 years ago
He's a fashion icon and fully clothed. The message is clever and could work with the helmet too
Load More Replies... Sveta Smirnova 5 years ago
Noted on the message. I will wear lingerie and helmet when cycling. What to wear during winter?
Jason Doakes 5 years ago
I am not a fan of the sex sells-philosophy, or rather I can't believe "we" still fall for it...., but I actually took this campaign as an ironic jab at all those beauty-obsessed insta-models, in the spirit of a "stop prioritizing c**p, the greatest priority is your life"-kind of thing
RaroaRaroa 5 years ago
YES. So many people just didn't get it. For starters, how can an ad be sexist when it has both men and women in it? The underwear could have been perhaps glamorous clothing instead, but underwear will catch more attention and that is the aim of advertising. The message is clearly that your brain is more important than your image. If helmets are ugly, get over it.
Load More Replies... Just a Purpler 5 years ago
To be honest I just skipped over this because about 80%+ of the ads I see are all stupid and dishonest anyway. Why is this any different?
Teodora L. Kostadinova 5 years ago
Don't know about you guys, but I love my helmet. Helmets are cool. I'm planning to buy another one that matches my reflective jacket. Also, I had a bike accident some years ago and I wish I had a helmet back then, it could have spared me a nasty concussion.
boredkoala 5 years ago
Agreed, I think mine looks cool! And I never ride without it!
Load More Replies... Laura Habermehl 5 years ago
Showing people in unserwear and a helmt would be like showing a politician without pants. It looks dumb. I've seen some pretty awesome sports photography with helmets. The idea is to get people used to, and accept helmet wearing. Putting helmets on hakf naked models doesnt work and just makes me laugh. 😂
Effseven Six 5 years ago
"Sex sells" is a phrase we all know, and it did, for a very very long time. Not so much anymore, and the companies/campaign runners are slowly but surely figuring that out. The people who did this campaign might take a little longer though lol.
Ben Smith 5 years ago
Are you kidding? Or do you just not watch tv anymore?
Load More Replies... Sara Snyder 5 years ago
the whole point of the campaign was to get your attention. So, whether you liked the content or not, it did it's job.
Magdalina777 5 years ago
That's...actually kinda cool imho. They're clearly targetting a younger auditory there and they want to grab their attention. Whether or not it will make young people reconsider their views on helmets remains to be seen but they're definitely succeeding on 'grab attention' part. And hey...if grabbing someone's attention with hot half naked girls/guys makes them remember a helmet next time they go cycling, why not? Also, it may or may not end up being super effective but I don't see anything incredibly wrong with it. Objectifying women? Oh c'mon. Let's stop using this phrase in any subject that features a woman whatsoever, shall we? I'm a girl and it made me chuckle, I found it amusing if anything(I don't cycle so can't say anything about helmet effect).
Markus W. 5 years ago
The main problem with that campain is the English slogan. A German authority talking to German people in English - that's rediculous.
Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
They can speak English also, and I think they wanted international attention.
Load More Replies... Peter Hall 5 years ago
Never mind, they'll turn up on the catwalk as part of some pretentious collection eventually and you'll see one of the K-clan wearing one. It'll be $2500 and have a Chanel logo on it. Then everyone will be wearing one. Whether they even own a bike or not.
Person2638 5 years ago
This is ridiculous. What were the creators of the ad thinking? "Oh, all the boys will see some pretty half-naked women in helmets and want to wear them too? And oh yeah, let's throw in a man or two for the girls." They could have done the same thing with younger people and more fashionable clothes, since an ad about wearing helmets should also be aimed at kids.
Felicia Dale 5 years ago
Helmets show intelligence, forethought and care not just for the rider wearing it but for their family and friends. Helmets saved my life at least three times. I wouldn't have a face twice over without having worn helmets. WEAR A HELMET.
Christophe Ferreira 5 years ago
I don't see the issue ... Sexy people attract your attention. I also take that as "yeah, you won't look beautiful with a helmet, even those sexy people don't, but at least you'll live".
Bill Scheitzach 5 years ago
If this is a German safety campaign, why is the text in English ... especially since the hashtag is in German? Yes, I know many (if not most) Europeans are multilingual, but still one would expect something like this to read "Sieht wie Scheiße aber rettet mein Leben". Secondly, I don't think 'die Madchen sieht wie Scheiße' one little bit ... with or without the helmet.
comboplush 5 years ago (edited)
Germany’s transport minister: "the campaign is meant to counter the notion that helmets are unattractive" Campaign: "Looks like sh°t (but saves my life)". Mission..accomplished..I guess?
Michał Jastrzębski 5 years ago
yeah, you dont really need to drop tits on the billboard to sell the concept of safety.
George Hudacko 5 years ago
Perfect use of perfect bodies to make sense. Just there were more images of guys to balance out the girls. Objectification is a fact of being a physical object as well as a person-so damn cut that s(*t out of the convo.
Val 5 years ago
As a climber I see a lot of people at the crag not wearing a helmet. I just don't get that. In the two years since I started climbing, I've had twice a piece of rock falling on top of my head. If I wouldn't have been wearing a helmet I would be severely injured. People not wearing helmets while biking, climbing, ... are plain dumb. Safety is not sexy, it's saving your life.
ETHAN BENNETT 5 years ago
"looks like s**t but saves my life" this has sex? how is this encouraging people to wear helmets. this is f****d up
Lingon 5 years ago
I think people that don't wear helmets when cycling, look like the idiots they are. But I guess it's their right to take themselves out of the genpool. ;) When I was a kid, my friends father worked as doctor, something he stopped doing after he one day decided to go on a bike without an helmet. He survived and became the biggest advocate for helmet use and told everyone how much his life had changed. I bike year round, never ever without an helmet, as my brain is my biggest asset and i'm not an idiot.
DP von Icecream 5 years ago
99,99999999% of all the Dutch cyclists would highly disagree with that statement ;-)
Load More Replies... Aurelia Grey 5 years ago
Younger cyclists are going to be checking out the models in their underwear or the shirtless men, that's human nature, wearing a helmet because of these ads? Please.
Victoria Rey Piuma 5 years ago
Completely understandable. This looks like an underwear or safe Sex ad. And no info at all
Elaine Dodge 5 years ago
You're in your underwear, in, on or near a bed with other people in their underwear - it's not a bike helmet you need to save your life it's a condom.
Prideep Vincent 5 years ago
Oh... It was "S**t"... my bad ...i thought the word "S**t" all these while .. :-p
Prideep Vincent 5 years ago
Oh... It was "S**t"... my bad ...i thought the word S**t all these while .. :-p
Crazy Architect 5 years ago
I'm confused. Why did it cost 450K? Looks like it could be done for 450 € in one afternoon.
Marcus Morningstar 5 years ago
to produce flyers and send it to all households maybe had one today in my postbox ...
Load More Replies... Chech Dasaus 5 years ago
Why TF does the government spend money for that. People stew responsible for their own safety. Others won't get hurt when careless bikers smash their heads.
comboplush 5 years ago
1. Role models - the more people wear helmets, the more people will follow to wear helmets 2. lessen the impact of accidents for all involved 3. less money to spend on recovery, as already mentioned 4. public education, creating awareness, allowing people to make an informed choice..? You know, increasing awareness and knowledge and such outlandish concepts.
Load More Replies... Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Yeah, it’s stupid. I really don’t get how it’s sexist though. The women are scantily clad but aren’t presented negatively, and there are men shown as well.
Load More Replies... Nia Loves Art 5 years ago
Not so fun for the guy who is going to have to scrape your brains off the road.
Load More Replies... 
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