That’s the youtube version of the advert showing on French TV for Accor Hotels, the French hotel operator. The company is a co-sponsor of the Europcar team and they’ve linked the team with their ad campaign. Hopefully the production didn’t cost much.
It’s not the first time this has happened. For several years Ag2r La Mondiale have been running these adverts during the Tour de France. A mutual healthcare insurance company the idea is to advertise the team spirit of the company. I found it amusing the first time but when you see it every day during July for a couple of years then the fun wears off.
In fact Ag2r has done several versions of the same message. Here is another:
Not to be outdone car brand Skoda – massive sponsors of pro cycling across Europe – also have a new version on TV. I can’t find the video online yet but it plays on the idea of romance between the race and the car, concluding with the bike and car watching am Alpine sunset together.
It’s a more gentle theme compared to last year’s action-packed clip:
And all this is before you see Jens Voigt dressed as a trucker:
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Looking forward to seeing the new Skoda add, looks like it could be Epic. Nothing beats Jensie dressed as a trucker though.
Agreed, though Thor’s wig at last year’s presentation may rival it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGxFYMNLLlc
I KNEW that guy looked familiar but couldn’t place it.
I have to admit, Jens does a fairly good redneck accent.
Actually, let me cancel that – it appears it’s supposed to be a Canadian accent.
Seeing the same ad over and over and over makes my head spin. I watch all races online, so miss the TV ads (some clever and many really bad), but I DO get to watch chefs Basso and Nibali cook their SIDI shoes ad nauseam, not to mention the other ads, most of which I mute. Couldn’t SIDI come up with something less half-witted?
British humor and American humor are quite distinctive from one another, as is humor from other countries. I rather like British humor as it gives me a taste of how other cultures think. A good ad, IMO, doesn’t require that one necessarily speak the language, as a “picture” is worth a thousand words.
But hey, I’ll take the ads and be thankful that I get to watch the races at all!
Vive Le Tour, SPARTACUS is back!!
That’ll be British *humour, thank you very much.
And this is British pedantry.
Like
I saw the new Specialized – Tom Boonen ad, footage from his Paris Roubaix breakaway, today – that is a really good advert, cant find it online at the mo keep an eye out though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BwnuBVUBsQ
oooh, that is good.
Yes that is good.
A little disappointed in the BG fit though. Shorter stem or reach in the bar and a zero offset post to dial youngin’ and he definitely could have held Tomeke off until the velodrome. I felt he may have been a little heel high at 6 o’clock but that can be rider preference.
The catch was inevitable though.
The Road ID commercials seem to have taken a turn into surreal territory this year with the Hippie/Hincapie one and now Jens as a chili chowing trucker. Love The Jensie, though.
Dirk Hofman Motorhomes
The sign appears on TV, so in some sense it is an advert.
Road ID humour… sigh.
In France, they’re also screening a behind the scenes programme with Europcar. The intro episode looked a little cheesy but could be interesting with the allegations being levelled at them by parts of the French press.
What allegations?
I love the Road ID adverts. I watched them all online this morning. They are fantastic.
Apparently, Skoda just wants everyone to know that the DS’s are terrible drivers. Also, its totally false advertising having FDJ celebrate on the hood of a car. They don’t win anything.
The Skoda ad is very well done. This years wiggle ad is very bad, and same with Sidi’s.
I like this SKODA ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BepJUZW6BOc
Škoda Tour de France 2012 Spot TV
->vimeo.com