These short films promote the OV-Fiets, a shared bike scheme which is aimed primarily at helping users of public transport get to and from the station and which is present at many locations in the Netherlands.
OV-Fietswoman rescues a stolen bike.
For a friend as well as for yourself (note that you can promote cycling here by showing people riding a bike while eating an ice-cream and with someone sitting on the rack).
Gain freedom by hiring a bike.
There are only around 5000 OV-Fietsen at the moment, but numbers are growing rapidly. More facts and figures about bicycles used with trains can be found here.
The films were made by Nieuw en Verbeterd ("New and Improved"), a film making company. I found them via the Fietsersbond blog.
There are other posts about Integrated Transport.
The second of the videos just made me gasp in (delighted) astonishment.
ReplyDeleteI mean - if that was in the UK it would be a safety video and that nice chap in the green shirt would come to a sticky end because of his Dangerous Cycling.
Your blog is huge eye-opener.
Haha! I love these them! Very funny. That first one made me think of 'bicycle repair man', was it Monty Python's?
ReplyDeleteMartin, it amazes me too. Cycle promotion here is never accompanied by use of the H word and always involves people having a nice time riding their bikes.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I collected some cycle promotion ads from the Netherlands and put them here.
Anneke, yes it was Monty Python. Here's the link for bicycle repairman.
What's with the Army guy's strange strip beard? Is that some sort of Dutch military thing?
ReplyDeleteHe's not a real "army guy" and I think he's supposed to look a bit sinister.
ReplyDeleteThe "salute" given by the people with the bike is them holding up the card that you have get scanned when you hire the bikes. The "army guy" scans then all at once - and then they're free.
The second video is actually a part of the bicycle scene from Paul Verhoeven's vintage 70's Dutch movie 'Turks Fruit' / 'Turkish Delight', where Rutger Hauer rides through Amsterdam with co-star Monique van de Ven on the back, doing those exact same things.
ReplyDeleteNice, yes, but hardly original. Sorry, I'm a movie buff.
Thanks for sharing, David
@Amsterdamize: it is not THE scene, but a recreation to advertise the OV fiets. There will hardly be any Dutch person who does not recognize this scene from that movie. Calling a quote "hardly original" strikes me as a bit strange.
ReplyDelete