'Stupid twats' website issues apology after backlash - we look at the company behind it
Agency has chairman who heads ad trade body, clients including cycling sponsors, and investors with links to Olympic legacy and sustainability
Karmarama apology.png
A website that described cyclists killed and injured on the roads as 'stupid twats' has replaced its original text with an apology this evening (see above) following a wave of criticism. As road.cc can reveal, the firm behind the campaign is headed by a woman who also leads the advertising industry’s trade body, has clients involved in sponsorship of cycling and is backed by a private equity company one of whose senior staff is closely involved with sustainability issues, including cycling, as part of the Olympic Park legacy.
By 10pm this evening, the website at ride-smart.org had been taken offline, with creative agency Karmarama suffering a backlash from cyclists once news of it spread via Twitter. The site was also criticised for having lifted video footage from YouTube without crediting or linking back to the sources.
Instead of the text that had been there earlier deploring “Cyclists riding like stupid twats” being responsible for their own death or injuries, an apology appeared saying that the intention was to create a debate about safer cycling. That in itself is a laudable aim, but the company certainly didn't endear itself to cyclists with its approach - as you judge for yourself, since thanks to the magic of caching, you can still view the original site here.
The apology reads:
We're very sorry for the offence caused by our efforts to create debate around the critical issue of cycling safety.
We're hugely pro-cycling and have dozens of people who ride into the agency every day. We wanted to do something that would highlight the plight of cyclists on the road, as well as open up a debate about some of the less smart practices a minority of cyclists follow, like jumping red lights.
Again, we're sorry for the offence caused, it won't happen again.
It’s unclear whether the site as well as signage installed in London with limericks relating how fictional cyclists had contributed to their own death by for example jumping red lights was set up on behalf of a client, or may even have been, according to one theory, an exercise in seeing how quickly a campaign could go viral by pressing the right buttons. If that's the case, they proved their point.
But it's likely they've also learned something too; social media means it's impossible nowadays to make sweeping generalisations about a group and ignoring the fallout from that, something that cab firm Addison Lee and magazine Auto Express have discovered to their cost this year.
Sites such as Twitter enable cyclists - a broad group but one that typically reflects an affluent demographic of the type coveted by advertisers - to mobilise quickly to voice their concerns, and inevitably as news spread of the ride-smart website, a similar site went up under the name advertise-smart, outlining reasons for advertisers not to put their business the way of the agency involved, Karmarama.
That agency certainly isn’t a minnow trying to make a name for itself by creating a guerrilla-style campaign that was always certain to attract attention; a leading independent London agency with blue-chip clients, it is owned by Karma Communications which recently moved its 250 staff into new headquarters on Farringdon Road.
Karmarama’s executive chairman and partner, Nicola Mendelsohn, is currently coming to the end of a two-year term as president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which among other things requires its corporate members to uphold “legal and ethical standards, including the IPA Bye-laws, British Codes of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion, and rulings of the Advertising Standards Authority and OFCOM.”
The Advertising Standards Authority, whose remit nowadays extends beyond print and broadcast advertising to websites, requires all advertisements to be “legal, decent, honest and truthful.”
Holding company Karma Communications was set up in May 2011 by Phoenix Equity Partners with the purpose of making strategic acquisitions in the industry.
The first of those was Karmarama itself, whose clients include coffee house chain Costa, whose sub-brand Costa Express sponsored Rapha-Condor-Sharp during this year’s Tour of Britain, and the BBC, which hosted coverage of Team GB’s dominant performance in cycling at the London Olympics this summer.
A subsequent acquisition, Crayon, was merged into Karmarama earlier this year, and among the clients it brought was Honda, which is sponsor of the women’s cycling team backed by Bradley Wiggins announced last week.
One of Phoenix Equity Partners’ senior advisors, David Gregson, is a trustee of the environmental charity WWF and also sits on the board of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is responsible for the Olympic Park now that London 2012 is over.
In a blog post for the WWF about the Olympic Park and sustainability, he imagines what the park will be like in 2030 with its 22 miles of footpaths and cycleways, and expresses the hope that “during my tenure guiding post-Olympic legacy decisions I have been something of an environmental champion.”
Perhaps he could pass some of his experience about promoting environmental initiatives without antagonising people who pursue sustainable travel on to the company his firm invests in?
If this was a viral "stunt" it worked, but that's just going to be used as an excuse now though. 
Apology on their site now
We're very sorry for the offence caused by our efforts to create debate around the critical issue of cycling safety.We're hugely pro-cycling and have dozens of people who ride into the agency every day. We wanted to do something that would highlight the plight of cyclists on the road, as well as open up a debate about some of the less smart practices a minority of cyclists follow, like jumping red lights.
Again, we're sorry for the offence caused, it won't happen again.
Worrying that a bunch of ad execs all looked at this nasty piece of muddled bigotry and thought 'Why not?' It's the Clarkson Gene (may he end up unwanted in a charity shop like his crappy books)
Like the recent News Night scandal you wonder whether the new instant media has created an industry where pressing the 'send' button seems to make more sense than checking the facts.
MercuryOne
Silly me. You're probably right....
More weasel words from Khackcarama. Red light jumping is not the same as red light running. If you are at the front of a line of revving cars and can see nothing coming right or left - and the cross lights are turning to amber then it makes sense to pull off. Better that then get cut up into the parked cars across the junction by the fumers behind you.
I would end the discussion on red light jumping by installing cycle green lights that activate 5 seconds before the cars green light to give cyclists time to get away first. Problem solved!
MercuryOne
Silly me. You're probably right....
Seems this ad company should heed it's own words >
"Being Stupid is Very Stupid"
Very dangerous AD company. Stupid is as stupid does! Silly Twats.
It didn't take long did it......http://advertise-smart.org/ 
The language they used for the voice over of the videos they stole was also disgusting.
Do they really think that decent people want to hear filth like that. What sort of company uses language like that.
Some of their best friends are cyclists, eh 
What is everyday cycling in Arnhem
This ad agency says it will harm 'em
Was it just for a punt
Or publicity stunt
I'm so cross I could feather and tar them!
Karmarama are awfully devious
To profit from tragedies grievous
They should know its not funny
Turning death into money
Take your site off the web and just leave us.
Karmarama have caused me to twitter
Posting signs that are twisted and bitter
But now their site's gone
Their message was wrong
Could they make themselves look any shitter?
I think there are regulations about sticking about posters, placards etc. in publci spaces - have they obtained permission fromt he local authorities concerned? It might be worthwhile informing Councils of these , er, materials.
Yes, I was wondering about that too, I'm sure you need permission from the local highways authority… mind you, maybe they just Photoshopped them in to the pics
The signs were actually part of the campaign and have been appearing around London (12 sites, apparently) for about a week now.
There are strict controls over Fly posting and Boarding. London implements fines of up to £2500 per incident with harsher punishments for repeat offenders.
As I said on Twitter earlier: If anyone sees one of these signs in London PLEASE report it to the relevant Borough Council.
The only way this company will learn that their actions really weren't acceptable is if it hits them in pocket.
tl;dr this whole thing - but what's are the verses about?
Sig
That was fast - from put-up to take down in hours. The parody website is clever but is perhaps as bad as the original cycle-safe one, and just as it is ill-advised to keep poking an animal you have cornered with a stick ('cos it will go for you if you keep pushing it too far) there should be a way to show we don't sink to such a level.
There will be ways to engage with these guys, and I think that easing off and offering a way to make amends is the way to go forward and show that the cycling community is above the level of playground name calling.
47 years of breaking bikes and still they offer me a 10 year frame warranty!
'Red light jumping is not the same as red light running. '
It's exactly the same, no matter how you try to justify it.
Harvey and Rabbit wouldn't go around insulting cyclists!
ride smart caused a deal of offence
and the backlash was swift and intense
now there's guff in its place
where they try to save face
with a lame 'my best friends are...' defence
I work in a magistrates' court where one of the most common defences put forward by people charged with racially aggravated offences is 'some of my best friends are black, Asian etc..'. Not very convincing is it?
TOO LATE!
This is an after thought; and their intentions would be best served if they closed down completely.
Who would wan't a company advertising for them, that carries a record of Racial Incitement towards other road users.
It was interesting to John Somers trying to defend the campaign on Facebook last night. He repeated the offensive nonsense and then moved into collective guilt mode. Somehow I'm to blame for someone else doing something like wearing headphones and not hearing a maniac in a lorry.
Hopefully there will be a few calls from clients to account managers this morning.
Avoid the victim-blaming and a guerrilla cycle-safety campaign could be a really good idea.
There was a young driver named Chuck
Who took care, in the cab of his truck
To look left and then right
Twice at every red light
Since safety's not just about luck.
Noli porcum linguere
Oh dear, what a sad bunch of attention-seeking tossers.
They would be better off following Bill Hicks' excellent advice to people in advertising/marketing:
The apology would work a lot better if these tossers included an admission that at least 70% of cycle accidents are caused by people other than the cyclist.
There seems to be a lot of over-reaction from the readers on road.cc Kharmarama made a stupid decision with some dubious views, they saw the feedback and realised their mistake, apologised and took it all down.
Now people are calling for clients to withdraw business and the whole 250 people agency to close down. Hardly calm rational reactions. Points like the one from JohnS and 70% of accidents are not the cyclists fault are useful.
Cyclists need to be level-headed in reaction to unfair criticism, not a baying mob. We'll be heard more clearly if we don't shout as much.
Cannondale CAAD10 and an Orange Brompton M3L
bike blog - headtu.be
There seems to be a lot of over-reaction from the readers on road.cc Kharmarama made a stupid decision with some dubious views, they saw the feedback and realised their mistake, apologised and took it all down.
Now people are calling for clients to withdraw business and the whole 250 people agency to close down. Hardly calm rational reactions. Points like the one from JohnS and 70% of accidents are not the cyclists fault are useful.
Cyclists need to be level-headed in reaction to unfair criticism, not a baying mob. We'll be heard more clearly if we don't shout as much.
They realised their mistake after the reaction (not overreaction) from some cyclists. It's hardly a baying mob, simply people using the most effective means of getting their message across. No one called for lynchings. If I don't agree with the way a company operates I will avoid using the services. Entirely rational.
There seems to be a lot of over-reaction from the readers on road.cc Kharmarama made a stupid decision with some dubious views, they saw the feedback and realised their mistake, apologised and took it all down.
Now people are calling for clients to withdraw business and the whole 250 people agency to close down. Hardly calm rational reactions.
If I made a cock-up as large as that in my job, I would be out - instantly. I would not even be allowed back to my desk to collect my stuff - HR would bring it out to the front desk. This wasn't a split-second bad judgement, they went round London fixing custom-made signs to lamposts. Nobody on road.cc has over-reacted in my opinion - people should be fired and clients should remove their business. Market forces force out the weak and make way for better organisations. It's the economy, stupid - and cyclists are an increasingly influential part of it.
Nice to hear that they were only "opening a debate" about safe cycling. How original and innovative. I for one have never been cornered by some bore at a family gathering who finds out I cycle and wants to tell me that we're all lycra louts who jump red lights. I'm sure none of the rest of you have either.
Coming up next: the Daily Mail "open up a debate" about immigration, Fox News "open up a debate" about the role of the BBC, and the Daily Express "open up a debate" about Lady Di.
I was going to try and do a limerick but can only come up with the first line....
"Like a ship cannot stop without anchors"
Saying that the entirety of a 250 person company should go out of business seems like an over-reaction to me. I don't agree with their campaign, nor their methods, but if we foam and froth at people saying negative things about some cyclists, then this will be heard over the other more important issues like making roads safer for riding on.
Look the the shambles at the BBC, no-one is talking about the child abuse in Wales anymore, just about which exec at the Beeb is going next.
Cannondale CAAD10 and an Orange Brompton M3L
bike blog - headtu.be
Just a minute. If a cyclist does "ride like a stupid twat" are you saying he is not responsible in the slightest for any accident that may befall him or her.
I almost had a collision with a Muppet riding between the curb and my car as I moved in to allow an ambulance with Blues and Twos going. "Cyclist" was totally unaware and stopped within mm's of car. He was angry at me ffs.
Just as an idiot who walks blindly into traffic would be at fault, cyclists do not behave responsibly must take at least a portion of blame.
Some people have a natural talent for being this stupid, whilst others take a good run up.
Saying that the entirety of a 250 person company should go out of business seems like an over-reaction to me. I don't agree with their campaign, nor their methods, but if we foam and froth at people saying negative things about some cyclists, then this will be heard over the other more important issues like making roads safer for riding on.
Look the the shambles at the BBC, no-one is talking about the child abuse in Wales anymore, just about which exec at the Beeb is going next.
Again - overreaction or an appropriate reaction? Who called for the entire workforce to lose their jobs? This kind of work is this agency's purpose. If they get it so wrong why would anyone consider giving them work? No overreaction here. It's not the actions of an individual but a campaign launched by a company. It's commercial reality. If they come up with such tosh for prospective clients they'll lose business.
I almost had a collision with a Muppet riding between the curb and my car as I moved in to allow an ambulance with Blues and Twos going. "Cyclist" was totally unaware and stopped within mm's of car. He was angry at me ffs.
So you were aware of a cyclist between your car and the kerb yet you still decided to pull in and squeeze them?
See my previous comment. You're obviously the kind who doesnt need much of a run up.
Its a shame that they led with such an aggressive tone and bullshit stats because the core of the 4 points they make regarding "twats on bikes” are entirely fair and are what I encounter on my cycle commute everyday in Cambridge.
Cyclists are treated with such prejudice in a lot of the popular media that would be deemed unacceptable if they were speaking about racial or religious groups in the same terms. This is not a Human Rights bleat but more of a desire for there to be a level headed debate about cycling safety rather than the playground spat mentality that is preferred by the media.
The bile and hatred flying around about cyclists seems to have intensified since Sir Sideburn & his handler decked it last week.(Get well soon)
I started following twitter ac called cycling hatred or something and stopped after reading the offensive, violent, and dangerous views of the fuckwits who think, or not, its ok to joke about killing people who get in there way. It was depressing and sad.
Saying that the entirety of a 250 person company should go out of business seems like an over-reaction to me. I don't agree with their campaign, nor their methods, but if we foam and froth at people saying negative things about some cyclists, then this will be heard over the other more important issues like making roads safer for riding on.
Look the the shambles at the BBC, no-one is talking about the child abuse in Wales anymore, just about which exec at the Beeb is going next.
I forgot to say - it is exactly this kind of message that distracts people from making the roads safer. It's just fuel for the Daily Mail. Why have a rational assesment of the state of our roads when you can just call someone on a fixie a twat?
Mostyn did last night, commercial pressures might well end up leading to Kharmarama losing business, but cyclists responding by saying sack 'em all doesn't make us seem like the calm rational ones.
Cannondale CAAD10 and an Orange Brompton M3L
bike blog - headtu.be
Didn't one smart bloke once say something like, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" ?
I was going to try and do a limerick but can only come up with the first line...."Like a ship cannot stop without anchors"
Like a ship cannot stop without anchors
Ad campaigns need a hook, to attract us
If the hook's total dross
The campaign is a loss
Learn from this; in the long run, you'll thank us
petescales wrote:I was going to try and do a limerick but can only come up with the first line...."Like a ship cannot stop without anchors"
Like a ship cannot stop without anchors
Ad campaigns need a hook, to attract us
If the hook's total dross
The campaign is a loss
Learn from this; in the long run, you'll thank us
Gold star for that even if ankers and attract us is slightly dubious rhyming
yeah, i was trying for 'rancour' but couldn't really make that work either 
The Dead cycling twat campaign
Caused ad agency serious pain
They forgot cyclists affinity
for drinking lots of coffee
silly add agency should've used brain
One would hope that if these signs do exist on the streets they will be removed as well. Then we should all move on. Yes they have apologized with weasel words and for a while(along with tax avoidance) that will effect my decision about where I will stop for a coffee when in town.
However, to call for the closure of the agency would achieve very little compared to the success of the cycling lobby has already achieved through the use of social media and the acute embarrassment no doubt being felt by Karmarama. After all if you are asking someone not to be something, the first thing you should ensure is that you do not end up looking like a bunch of that thing.
Call me naive but hopefully they and other agencies will work with caution and sensitivity in the future when a addressing such a provocative subject as an individuals culpability in their own death. Shock and poor ethical standards are no substitute for imagination and sensitive creativity.
G
yeah, i was trying for 'rancour' but couldn't really make that work either
Hmmm - if only there was another rhyming word that described Karmalamarama... banker? tanker? Nope, can't make them work either.
London
The thing I find most offensive is the appalling punctuation and grammar.
How can a professional communications company put out such illiterate work ? Most of the sentences are poorly constructed but the worst mistakes are:
"including on average of 3,000" - it's either 'an average' or 'on average 3,000' .
"cars and lorry's are made of..." - the plural is lorries. Lorry's means belonging to a lorry.
"If you are in left lane and drift across to turn right will probably get killed". Run out of pronouns and prepositions ?
Clearly the people who wrote this are idiots.
I don't expect everybody in the world to have perfect knowledge of spelling and grammar, or to apply it in all cases.
But when I see supposed professionals in journalism and communications who can't write a proper sentence I have to conclude they not very good at their job and probably not very bright. I might even say they were Very Stupid.
Is it about a bicycle ?
I see two people who've called the response an over reaction. Just two. The vast majority have been agreeing with steps taken to get the campaign halted and to hold the company accountable.
There are plans for the advertise-smart.org website and it will be changed over the coming week or so to better serve the long term goals of A)letting people that might consider hiring Karmarama know exactly what kind of imbeciles they seem to employ and B) hopefully working WITH Karmarama (at their expense) on a decent campaign.
Points like the one from JohnS and 70% of accidents are not the cyclists fault are useful.
Oops, sorry, Gavin, misread you originally and went off on one.
Let us hope - indeed fervently hope - that recent events such as this and Newsnight's rumble with the self-styled righteous have some effect and bring some sense to a world where nonsense seems to rule, OK!
Fran the Man
Anyone know why an advertising agency thought they had the background knowledge to "create debate around the critical issue of cycling safety."? From what the posted they are of the "I think this so it's right" brigade
London
Did you also post 'Hull', 'Newcastle', 'Bristol' and 'Glasgow' on the other lead stories?
I also find the use of the T word offensive, call me old fashioned but I was brought up to understand that another word for twat is cunt and thereby equally offensive.
lifes goal is not to arrive at the grave in a perfectly preserved body, but to skid in sideways yelling "yeah what a ride!"
Nobody here is denying that, as in all walks of life, some people don't help themselves. But the majority try to ride safely so feel that suggesting that cyclists as a whole are RLJing, black-wearing, lightless, kerb-hopping risk-takers who deserve no sympathy is not only lazy but puts us at greater risk of injury or death.
And bear in mind that it's not just the 70%+ of collisions involving cyclists that are caused by drivers. There are also the 100% of 2- or multi-vehicle collisions and most pedestrian road deaths too, which add up to give us some pretty scary numbers.
So while a significant number of road.cc readers may appear (to the uninformed) to be some kind of lynch mob, the fact is that we are very conscious that we are a vulnerable road users. The vast majority of us will have had unwarranted abuse, close calls, punishment passes etc etc and (if the latest surveys are accurate) at least a third have been knocked off by a driver. So yes, we feel aggrieved that websites like the one discussed do nothing to address the problem in the slightest but merely give ammunition to the haters.
Most of us drive vehicles too, so yes we do know what it's like to be behind the wheel too. I used to drive 12-18,000 miles p.a. but changed jobs so I could work nearer home and now do more miles on my bike than in the car.
BTW if anyone wants to see who is behind this bunch of dimwits you can find the info here: http://wheelspedalsperson.posterous.com/not-that-smart
BTW if anyone wants to see who is behind this bunch of dimwits you can find the info here: http://wheelspedalsperson.posterous.com/not-that-smart
Same people we mention in the article. Hicklin Slade (company the domain registered by] is the holding company of Crayon, which as we say above was bought by Karma Communications and merged into Karmarama.
Chris Michael, named in the WhoIs search result, is Director of Technology at Karmarama according to his Twitter bio. 18 of his last 19 tweets say the same thing:
"Sorry for offence caused by our attempts to highlight the issue of cycling safety. Made a big mistake."
Anyone know why an advertising agency thought they had the background knowledge to "create debate around the critical issue of cycling safety."?
What I wonder is why they thought other peoples' cycling was any of their business, whether they approved of it or not, as well as why they thought they were qualified to comment.
Last time I looked, ad agencies were not part of the legislature, judiciary, police or educational establishment, and neither are they responsible for or qualified to pronounce on road "safety"*.
*Mind you, the same applies to most of the organisations that are supposed to be responsible for or qualified to pronounce on road "safety".
There seems to be a lot of over-reaction from the readers on road.cc Kharmarama made a stupid decision with some dubious views, they saw the feedback and realised their mistake, apologised and took it all down.
Now people are calling for clients to withdraw business and the whole 250 people agency to close down. Hardly calm rational reactions. Points like the one from JohnS and 70% of accidents are not the cyclists fault are useful.
Cyclists need to be level-headed in reaction to unfair criticism, not a baying mob. We'll be heard more clearly if we don't shout as much.
[[[[[[[[ No we won't.
P.R.
PhilRuss
Actually, I liked the original campaign!!!
Being a creative man myself and a very caring cyclist, I am often appalled by the meaningless behaviour of yes, "cycling t*ats" who do all of the 4 stupid things the ad highlights - and much, much more.
So, if it stirs debate, draws attention and gets wider scale interest into what we are and what we do - then I for one am all for it!!!!!
You can see by the comments posted that it "did the business".
And if you want attention then you simply have to be ballsy about it.
You won't get heard if you don't shout and make a fuss!!!!
Where has "politeness" and "soft pedalling" actually got us, huh?
Things are worse now than they ever have been. There's a lot of hot air being spouted ... and, as usual, so little real action being taken.
To all of those of who ride stupidly ... TOUGH!! Learn to behave - for the good of us all ... or you will end up paying the ultimate price - and no one wants that .. but ...
The number of cyclists who NEVER look behind, NEVER signal, simply pull out in front of cars, wear flip flops, ride without helmets, have no lights, no proper clothing... what else would you call them?
Yet, we're all tarred by their utter disregard and contempt for other road users. It's their "I'm perfect fk you" attitude that needs to be pointed out and lashed out of them. And soft soap just won't do it.
I don't think anyone supports cyclists who do ride stupidly, what people seem to be objecting to is blaming the deaths of cyclists on the behaviour of that minority when there is no evidence to back the connection up. What it seems to point out is that drivers can kill cyclists as some of them ride badly essentially absolving them of blame when in the majority of cases collisions are caused by the motorist and therefore they should shoulder that blame.
Simply put I think it's true that if all cyclists rode within the rules there would be less accidents but there would be a much larger reduction if motorists were more aware and drove more considerately so maybe we should start with that.
Si
what people seem to be objecting to is blaming the deaths of cyclists on the behaviour of that minority when there is no evidence to back the connection up.
+1.
Victim-blaming for free publicity. That's probably a feather in your cap in advertising.
By way of amends, Karmarama should voluntarily start a more appropriate campaign, 'think bike' style, or about how much space to give cyclists when overtaking.
Then I might believe their 'apology'.
I would end the discussion on red light jumping by installing cycle green lights that activate 5 seconds before the cars green light to give cyclists time to get away first. Problem solved!
That's a good idea! (As long as it is sync'ed with the amber lights on the other side.)
And your earlier one about huffing fumes at the front of the queue (many of which are from scooters and motorbikes actually in the bloody bike box....thanks Boris) might be lost on many motorists due to an "empathy gap".
This disconnect, at the centre of the issue I believe, could be bridged by the DVLA mandating a certain amount of hours on a cycle before issuing driver's licenses.
And as far as communications strategies go: it would be truly useful, I'm talkin' behavior changin' here, if we saw a muti-channel blizzard of campaigns that, among other things, embeds a cyclist's POV into the motorist's consciousness, and which sells the sizzle of cycling; the fun, the freedom, the fitness benefits (leave out the environment for a change, that's only making drivers feel guilty, judged, and ultimately resentful).
Get me Marty Sorrel on the blowa'.
It raised awareness and provoked debate. Job done.
It wasn't trying to level any blame at all at anyone who has unfortunately been involved in a sadly serious cycling accident. God knows, we all come close, almost every time we ride on the roads.
It simply says: If you ride like a pr*ck you will get punctured - so, wise up and stay safe ... for everyone's benefit.
The "attack" on motorists' awareness is an entirely different campaign with a different objective and requires totally different creative treatment. This campaign didn't set out to educate drivers. It was aimed squarely at assholes on cycles who flout the law, behave insensibly and ride without respect for other road users ... while expecting, as they always do, that "everyone else" will take care of them.
Where does the ad say that if you get killed it's your own stupid fault?
Read it - it doesn't. It's a cause and effect statement. Do any of this and this is what is most likely to happen. And who can doubt it?
So where exactly is the issue that "everyone is outraged by" and banging on about?????
Would that people were even mildly vociferous in the very same way about actually getting something positive done to make our roads safer!!!!!
And it's not only drivers who have to do that. Cyclists must sharpen their act too and that includes the august bodies that "represent" us.
All these words ... and nothing ever changes.
Where does the ad say that if you get killed it's your own stupid fault?
Wait, you seem to be contradicting yourself...
"It simply says: If you ride like a pr*ck you will get punctured.."
[quote=comm88
So where exactly is the issue that "everyone is outraged by" and banging on about?????
Did you read the original news item in this blog? It gave several solid arguments about why this ad missed the mark.
The very creatives behind it have also admitted it was a "mistake", so maybe you should check out their new landing page? It was also printed in its entirety in the news section.
So where exactly is the issue that "everyone is outraged by" and banging on about?????
Did you read the original news item in this blog? It gave several solid arguments about why this ad missed the mark.
I like the limerick about chuck in his truck.
Evidence that crowdsourcing cycling safety campaign copy could be as useful as eleventh hour intern silliness. (are you reading this Karmarama?)
There seems to be a lot of over-reaction from the readers on road.cc Kharmarama made a stupid decision with some dubious views, they saw the feedback and realised their mistake, apologised and took it all down.
Now people are calling for clients to withdraw business and the whole 250 people agency to close down. Hardly calm rational reactions. Points like the one from JohnS and 70% of accidents are not the cyclists fault are useful.
Cyclists need to be level-headed in reaction to unfair criticism, not a baying mob. We'll be heard more clearly if we don't shout as much.
I agree wholeheartedly with this.
They were brave enough to admit a mistake and kill the "campaign"
Post mortem criticism is one thing; trying to negatively affect their business or demand sackings is another.
As my Mum used to say; You seem upset, why don't you go for a nice cycle ride? Just don't twat about.
It raised awareness and provoked debate. Job done.
I'm not sure it provoked a debate on road safety, more a debate about their intentions and how, if anything, they probably made matters worse.
It wasn't trying to level any blame at all at anyone who has unfortunately been involved in a sadly serious cycling accident. God knows, we all come close, almost every time we ride on the roads.It simply says: If you ride like a pr*ck you will get punctured - so, wise up and stay safe ... for everyone's benefit.
The "attack" on motorists' awareness is an entirely different campaign with a different objective and requires totally different creative treatment. This campaign didn't set out to educate drivers. It was aimed squarely at assholes on cycles who flout the law, behave insensibly and ride without respect for other road users ... while expecting, as they always do, that "everyone else" will take care of them.
Where does the ad say that if you get killed it's your own stupid fault?
Read it - it doesn't. It's a cause and effect statement. Do any of this and this is what is most likely to happen. And who can doubt it?
So where exactly is the issue that "everyone is outraged by" and banging on about?????
One of their limericks was:
"There once was a cyclist named Keith,
he road a fixie, lived out East,
a car smashed his head,
when he went through a red,
now he's down in the ground deceased"
In my book this is saying if you run red lights you will die. My point was that there are people who run red lights and ride on the pavement, while I don't think they should, they're not the ones causing the majority of cyclists' deaths so for the company to try and link them together in this manner is very misleading and can give motorists the fuel they need for their apparent anger at cyclists.
Would that people were even mildly vociferous in the very same way about actually getting something positive done to make our roads safer!!!!!And it's not only drivers who have to do that. Cyclists must sharpen their act too and that includes the august bodies that "represent" us.
All these words ... and nothing ever changes.
I do agree that something should be done and less said, but as I said, maybe we should start with the cause of most accidents and work our way to the lesser causes?
Si
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