Velib: Advertising on Two Wheels?

Paris’ successful Velib bicycle program comes with some strings attached.

By: KuhaneGuy | Dec 14, 2007 |  2

Categories: Culture & Identity, Media & Advertising, Artevist

A post by Francois a few days ago got me thinking again about Paris' Velib program. I remember seeing this on the news when it was launched in July, and wondered how it was doing.

In a nutshell, Velib is an urban bike rental concept that allows anyone to rent a bicycle at one of more than 750 points across the city, use it for a short period of time (usually under an hour) and then drop it off at any Velib 'station' they choose. Visit the Velib website (mostly in French).

Though the Municipality of Paris has touted it as a revolutionary idea, similar programs have been in place in various other European cities, with varying degrees of success.

What is true, is that never before has such an idea been implemented on such a grand scale - 10,000 specially designed bikes, 750 Velib stations and the promise to double these figures in the near future. Not to mention, an entire infrastructure and marketing campaign to support it.

Velib's apparent success stems from a partnership between the City of Paris and French outdoor advertising giant, JCDecaux, which has been experimenting with the idea in smaller French cities for a number of years.

JCDecaux of course has not given Paris' citizens something for nothing. It finances, installs and maintains all the bikes in exchange for a monopoly on outdoor ad space across the capital. I haven't seen any Euro figures on what that means, but it can't be small change. This has led many to lament the fact that meaningful environmental solutions only come about when there is an underlying marketing advantage for someone.

It's certainly a topic for discussion. Several cities in Europe (Scandinavian ones in particular) have promoted bike use without the need for a private sector trade-off. It's also interesting that while some cities are banning outdoor advertising (see No More Ads in Rio de Janeiro? and São Paulo's Advertising Ban: A Progress Report), others, such as Paris, are using it to finance eco-friendly initiatives.

No doubt, Velib has benefited from the vast marketing resources of JCDecaux. That seems apparent from the attention given to marketing and design detail. Without seeing and riding a Velib bike in person, it's hard to know what they're like or if I like the look of them. They look heavy, but for flat Paris, that shouldn't pose a problem. Their unique design will also deter thieves from making off with them, which has plagued similar programs.

Many are watching to see if Velib flies. JCDecaux's biggest competitor, Clear Channel Outdoor, has similar programs in place and this may mean the beginning of a war for urban minds 'and' bodies.

For a bit of fun, see a video on what Velibs can do. "Video not endorsed by the City of Paris!"

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Living in the US, let me say we just need to change our car culture. If it took making deals with ad agencies, I’d say its worth it. Good for Paris!

Besides, more enlightened consumers won’t be buying those shampoos, hamburgers and cars. Well, I’m allowed to dream aren’t I?

By: HagenDaz
posted: December 18, 2007 at 11:38 AM

I live in DC, and we’re pretty bike friendly here compared to most US cities, but there are still very few people who don’t have a car. Americans still see bikes as recreation, not transport, and we’ve designed our cities to keep it that way. I’m looking forward to a trip to Paris. Jumping on a Velib is going to be one of the first thing s I do.

By: Garrrr
posted: December 19, 2007 at 07:41 PM