Regions Bank: Cycling Will Set You Free

Looks like we have a contender for Livable Streets Ad Campaign of the Year, courtesy of the Alabama-based Regions bank chain.

In this spot, which debuted last year as part of Regions’ ongoing “Expect More” series, a thirty-something woman is walking down a city sidewalk when she approaches a bright green bike. An older man, who has presumably just dismounted the bike, hands her a helmet, and off she goes. The indie rock score kicks in, and our cyclist takes to a bike lane, joining others on identical rigs. As they whiz by stalled traffic and gather en masse, a narrator intones:

What if there was a better way to get where you’re going? A simpler way, with more control? At the new Regions, we’re all about making it easier for you to reach your goals. It’s time to see what it feels like to have the wind in your hair and a bank by your side.

With that, she reaches her destination — a Regions branch, natch — but instead of parking the bike at the conveniently located rack, she hands it off, along with the helmet, to a young guy who’s just exited the bank himself. Bike share!

This ad is populated by full-grown adults — dignified, relaxed, wearing regular clothes — using bikes as part of their daily routine. Instead of making them the butt of a joke, Regions is tapping into the feeling of freedom that cycling commuters enjoy every day. The company is also putting its money where its mouth is, having donated a passel of bright green bikes to Centenary College of Louisiana for use in a real-life bike share program.

Hats, and helmets, off to Regions.

Video: splaim20 / YouTube