VanMoof's first television commercial has been banned from French TV because it creates 'a climate of fear'. It is the first time that a bicycle advertisement has been banned from broadcasting. In the commercial, cars reflect the rat race of the past, inviting viewers to rethink their modes of transportation in the city for a cleaner, greener future. The commercial has been disapproved by the French advertising watchdog, ARPP.
historical highlight
The television advertising comes at a time when the demand for electric bicycles is one historical highlight and cities look different every day. With the video, VanMoof wants to inspire people to rethink how they get from A to B and to show how they can make a positive contribution to the world in which they live.
“We have always been aware that this commercial is nothing like an average bicycle advertisement. It is an impetus for action, an opportunity to leave the past behind and make real progress that will benefit everyone. Questioning the status quo will always lead to a confrontation, but we wanted to achieve that from the beginning. " Taco Carlier, co-founder VanMoof
The second goal of the commercial is to spotlight the launch of VanMoof's new generation of smart e-bikes, the VanMoof S3 & X3. This marks a turning point for the bike-meets-tech company, as it's not only the most advanced e-bikes the company has ever produced, but also the most accessible - a bike costs € 1998. VanMoof's long-term goal is to make cycling possible for everyone, in order to get the next billion people on the bicycle.
VanMoof was notified of the rejection in a letter from the Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP), a self-regulatory organization supported by the private sector. According to the ARPP, certain images from the car reflections "give the automotive industry a bad name [...] while creating a climate of fear." It is noteworthy that the ARPP has rejected one of the first bicycle advertisements on French TV, despite the recent promise to sustainability aspects to strengthen their policies.
It is not the first time that controversy has arisen regarding ARPP. NGOs such as Greenpeace en Doctors of the World the organization pointed out a lack of neutrality before. The television commercial was broadcast two weeks earlier in the Netherlands and Germany. The spot was well received by the public - even in Germany, where the automotive industry has an annual turnover of more than 400 billion euros.
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