'Stupid twats' website issues apology after backlash - we look at the company behind it

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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'.

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.

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?)

London

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.

yeah, i was trying for 'rancour' but couldn't really make that work either

Didn't one smart bloke once say something like, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" ?

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.

Some people have a natural talent for being this stupid, whilst others take a good run up.

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.

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.