Giant 'Backatcha GM'...from Giant

World's largest bike maker Giant has responded to yesterday's foot-in-mouth moment from General Motors with its own interpretation of the Reality Sucks ad encouraging America's students to give up cycling in favour of gas guzzling.

Showing a traffic jam featuring centre stage an example of the definitive GM behemoth the GMC Hummer, Giant's version of the advertisement we showed in yesterday's post has the banner "Reality DOES Suck" before outlining the difference in headline costs between running one of GM's more antiquated redneck dinosaurs - the Chevy Silverado LT - versus one of Giant's urban hybrids, the £350 Escape 2.

Appearing on their Facebook page, the Giant ad has already attracted plenty of comments including this one from fan Ben Adlin who says, "I'm on board but who exactly is choosing between a bicycle and a freaking chevy silverado?" Indeed, in attempting to promote the more embarrassing parts of their product line against bicycles, GM appear to have doubly shot themselves in the foot.

The indignant cyclists are a no-brainer but drawing attention thanks to Giant's 'ad' the relative expense of driving a truck - $3,600 a year for 15,000 miles - even at relatively cheap American prices - versus a more parsimonious motor is a lesson that needed to be broadcast in straitened times, even if it is a car.