“Riding is the answer,” says a low-frills, long-form spot from cycling lifestyle brand Rapha and agency Mother in Los Angeles.
But what’s the question?
Perhaps it’s, “How, in this era of 24-hour connectivity and constant bad news, can you actually get a reprieve?”
Even those of us who aren’t into cycling will get a dose of envy and appreciation from the spot’s portrayal of an L.A. urbanite’s ride out of downtown, past the angry drivers and cafe-dwelling phone addicts and into the quiet hills.
The ad is low on dramatic flourishes, focusing instead on relatable, realistic moments that many in the cycling community will recognize and connect with.
“We wanted to show that there are many reasons to ride,” says Joe Staples, executive creative director and partner at Mother in Los Angeles. “The concept of ‘suffering’ has been central to Rapha’s many stories over the years, but camaraderie, escape, fitness, a quick commute and joy are also things that riding can deliver. In the film, we tried to make one single morning ride hint at some of these other reasons.”
The campaign marks a substantial awareness push for Rapha, which was founded in London in 2004.
“Rapha is a mission-focused company, driven by a simple purpose: making cycling the most popular sport in the world. We’ve always felt like we have a duty of care for the sport. We’ve always been the ones pushing ‘riding’ forward,” says Rapha Cycling CEO Simon Mottram. “We think it’s now time to be even more evangelical about it than we’ve been before, bringing more people into this sport we love so much. So we wanted to go out and tell the world who we are, what we believe in and what our mission is.
The client and topic have personal connections for Staples, Mother’s lead creative on the project.
“I’ve been friends with Simon and the whole crew at Rapha basically since they launched almost 15 years ago in Brick Lane, London,” he says. “Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to ride for their Continental team, to go on trips around America, and ride and race in their clothing. I love what they do and what they bring to riding.”
CREDITS:
Agency: Mother in Los Angeles
Client: Rapha
Director: Max Weiland
Producer: Jess Feurst
Line Producer: Dominique Deleon
DOP: Jackson Hunt
Rock Paper Scissors:
Editor: Biff Butler
Assistant Editor: Alyssa Oh
Producer: Rebecca Baker
Head of Production: Shada Shariatzadeh
Executive Producer: Rana Martin
VFX: A52
Color: Paul Yacono
Color Assist: Corey Martinez
Online: Dan Ellis, Gabe Sanchez
VFX: Dan Ellis, Matt Sousa
VFX Producer: Jenny Bright
Executive Producer: Kim Christensen
Managing Director: Jennifer Sofio Hall
Lime Studios:
Sound Design and Mixer: Rohan Young
Assistant Mixer: Ben Tomastik
Executive Producer: Susan Boyajan
Song:
‘Catamaran’ by Allah-Las
