Own The City, Not The Bike

Dutch bike membership brand Swapfiets has just launched its first-ever international brand campaign called ‘Own The City, Not The Bike’. The latest ad campaign from Swapfiets celebrates the ease and beauty of not owning everything, bringing to life the convenience of the bike brand's offering.

The campaign features a 45-second video that celebrates the joy of biking in the city, bypassing traffic, and exploring new areas. The visual creative showcases the various benefits of using Swapfiets bikes, including the convenience of not owning a bike, easy access to worry-free repairs and replacements (included in the membership), and the freedom and flexibility to explore the city on two wheels.

Swapfiets partnered with creative agency co.lab to develop the creative concept for the campaign, which captures the progressive and friendly personality of the brand. The campaign's creative concept plays on the sun's glare across the camera’s lens, turning the photographic nuisance into a blue ring around each person in all assets, representing the front blue tyre that's a staple of every Swapfiets bike. This design element highlights the brand's unique style and stands out in the sea of dark, boring bikes on the market.

The 45-second video has also been cut down into three 15-second edits each highlighting Swapfiets' three key offerings: freedom, flexibility, and worry-free repairs and replacements.

The goal of the campaign is to encourage other European city dwellers to follow in the footsteps of the Dutch by jumping on two wheels as their preferred mode of transportation to better enjoy the city. Swapfiets is committed to making biking more accessible and hassle-free for everyone, and this campaign aims to inspire more people to make the switch to cycling.

‘Own The City, Not The Bike’ is now live across five key markets – the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, and its home country of the Netherlands – where its being pushed via Facebook, Instagram, Google (including a Connected TV pilot), and TikTok. Swapfiets is also advertising the campaign via its own channels including email, website, organic social media, LinkedIn, and in-store screens. The bike brand is also considering pushing its latest creative through open-air cinemas and OOH advertising later in the campaign.

This campaign also presents Swapfiets’ first foray into TikTok, using creators on the platform to create original content inspired by the campaign’s tagline. Swapfiets aims to encourage people to embrace the freedom and convenience that comes with using their bikes as a mode of transportation.

Natalie Diekmann, CMO and CCO, at Swapfiets, said: "We wanted to create a campaign that speaks to the young and young-at-heart, people who are owning the city every day, and have no time to waste worrying about their bike or getting stuck in traffic or sweaty tubes. Most journeys in London could actually happen by bike, and we are here to facilitate that.

“We believe that owning a bike shouldn't be a burden, and we're excited to inspire more people to own their city, not their bike. Our bikes are designed for urban commuters who want a hassle-free experience. With our membership-based model, customers can have peace of mind knowing that their bike is always in top condition and that they have access to Swapfiets support wherever they are."

Swapfiets is the world’s first ‘bicycle as a service’ company with a circular business model. The company's bike subscription service provides customers with access to a 100% circular product line, repair and maintenance services, and flexibility. The scale-up quickly developed into one of the leading micro-mobility providers in Europe, currently serving 270,000 members in 8 European markets.