With power comes great responsibility and so, Alex Bogusky, head honcho over at Crispin Porter & Bogusky, decided to launch a bike share program: bikes lent out by a municipality for public use. With the help of a CP & B employee and avid biker, Dave Kingsbury; healthcare company Humana and the bike company, Trek, the ad agency created their own Denver based bicycle program.
Bogusky told a breathless crowd at SXSW that the program would cost a city $1.8M a year to maintain. However, he believes in the French model, which is run by an outdoor advertising company, JC Deaux, who funds the program with ad placements.
New York City has toyed with such ideas. Editorials appeared in The Times almost a year ago and now, a summer test run is planned for 2009. So you Madison Avenue kids? Get ready to ride.
Bogusky also told the Austin crowd: “It’s about doing something a little bit outside of what you’re doing every day.” It’s a model to live by.
More: Pics & Video From the Ad Agencies in Action Launch Party