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Halfords Christmas advert 2014Video: Halfords' Christmas ad asks, "Does anything beat a bike?"
It’s not Halloween till Friday, but here’s a scary thought – the Christmas advert from Britain’s biggest bike retailer, Halfords, makes its debut on ITV this evening.
The 30-second TV version of the ad will also run during Saturday’s edition of the hugely popular show, The X Factor, and carries the strapline, “Does anything beat a bike?”
Trade website BikeBiz says that the full 60-second version of the ad, which you can watch below, will be used online and on social media.
The ad has a timeless feel, and could be placed pretty much in any decade from the 1970s on, apart from a couple of visual clues – the wheelie bins outside the houses, and the helmet briefly seen on the main character’s head before he covers it with his hoodie.
There’s not a car in sight, and inside a house we see books and board games rather than tablets and consoles.
Written and created by advertising agency Mother, the spot is directed by Aoife McArdle of Somesuch & Co, and is said to be “encapsulating the freedom of cycling for children while inspiring memories of the cherished Christmas present for adults from childhood."
In other words, it is partly aimed at prompting nostalgia among parents of when they received their own bike as a Christmas present back in their younger days, in the hope it will inspire them to do likewise for their own kids.
Karen Bellairs, marketing director at Halfords, said: “We wanted our Christmas ad to capture the magic and nostalgia of Christmas and evoke the feelings of being a child surrounded by that magic on Christmas Day, along with all the expectation and excitement that brings.
She added: “We’re also showing the confidence we have in our offer – we all remember the universal experience of receiving a new bike and wanting to get out and ride it straightaway on Christmas Day – after all, you can’t do wheelies on a tablet!”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Simon E 2 sec ago
Did Santa subcontract some of his deliveries to pricks in BMWs?...
- E6toSE3 10 hours 17 min ago
I've posted before about being 69, lifelong cyclist as my main transport, much of it in, through, under, over London and how it's bicycles that...
- check12 12 hours 59 min ago
200 people out of a close by population of how many? Just build it and stop being a wuss
- Spangly Shiny 14 hours 32 min ago
To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "Build it right and they will come: and use it!"
- Rendel Harris 16 hours 53 min ago
And a Happy Christmas to you, road.cc staff!
- Rendel Harris 17 hours 41 min ago
The odds of not being able to find a single pedestrian - just one, note, "any pedestrian" - in an area containing more than about ten of them who...
- bikeman01 19 hours 20 min ago
I love how wannabe racer reviewers talk about fork flex under braking like their tyres are made of glue. I find traction gives long before fork flex.
- hawkinspeter 20 hours 27 min ago
They don't make them like they used to
- LongitudeLatitude 21 hours 18 min ago
Thanks for using my picture of chocolate in your opening picture. The original can be found here, chocolate! | LongitudeLatitude | Flickr.
- lesterama 21 hours 45 min ago
Fair comments. I'll put my hands up and say I got the wrong end of the stick with this one. ¡Feliz navidad! Here's a pic for the season of goodwill.
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23 comments
I find it strange all the hate for Halfords. Yes i know that some products arn't the best quality, but these are not aimed at us. Look at the alternatives, find a new bike built and safty checked for under £130 anywere else. I would rather people get cheep bike from Halfords than the boxed bike options from other retailers. Have you seen any sports direct/argos/tesco bike at this price. Then you have to build it yourself (rear mech in wheel anyone). And what do you do when the cheep Botom brackets works loose ( try arguing that one with a kid i Argos).
To say Halfords dont support cycling is just wrong. They offered free machanic support for the Sky rides, hold kids workshops through the school holidays and for Cubs and even have a cycle themed charity partner (re-cycle)
Like any national retailer thet staff can be hit and miss and at this point i should confess that i have worked for Halfords. I have been fetling bike for over 30 years (only worked for halfords for 2 years about a year ago). I'd imagine most of the people who poor hate on Halfords havent been in one for years. What are you bassing you opinions on?
I for one have had lots of bad experances in LBS as well, but these are put up on a pedastool as where we should all shop.
I feel sorry for anyone "put up on a pedastool". It sounds quite painful.
Yes. It's much too close to pedo's tool for comfort...
Yes. It's much too close to pedo's tool for comfort...
Why is this site obsessed with Halfords ?
one brake? sounds about right for a Halfords build.
Whoever created this add is obviously a fan of ET, one whole sequence is a direct copy. Which of course is no bad thing, classic eighties movie. However, the person responsible for picking the music should hold their heads in shame, have they forgot entirely that this is a Christmas advert? Or have they secretly implanted a subliminal message telling me that I want to holiday in the Caribbean next year?
Well I for one think money spent on primetime on cycling can only help small shops too.
Obligatory alternative viewpoint approaching - please look away now if offended:
Nobody made the kid wear a helmet, showing kids wearing helmets, either because they care for themselves or their parent care for them, is not forcing others to do the same. It is no more detrimental to the "freedom of cycling for children" than it is to the "freedom of hospitalisation and permanent scarring".
Do what you want, no one's forcing you or your kids to wear a helmet.
Carry on.
Stuff like this does reinforce the notion that bike == helmet though.
So it is a nostalgic ad encouraging 40 or 50 somethings to remember their first bikes back in the 1970s and 80s and to now buy a bike for their kid or grand kid? Back then most mass produced bikes were seriously crap and Halfords ones were top of the crap list of bikes. Showing a BMX with only one brake is irresponsible. Kids of today hopefully want to be pros not scrotes on BMXs not that there is anything wrong with BMX per say, but you know what I mean. It would have been far better to concentrate on machines and kit of today even if it is still only featured Halford's crap Appollos or Carrera ranges. They might have even featured the Boardman bikes. Dream on.
What do you expect from a retailer that is principally a retailer selling crap for cars, whose staff don't know a bottom bracket from a drop out, and who assemble bikes with forks facing backwards or the brakes around the wrong way?
Do not worry, that one brake will not be on there for long, it is still fashionable to run brakeless, even the better bmx’s Halfords sell (just about classed as a BMX - as opposed to BSOs) have removable brake mounts to keep the frame ‘clean’ looking.
As to the second point, what a crock of shit, although there are plenty of kids wanting a road bike I reckon more kids would want to be pro BMXers (or pro scooter rats). More mamils wish they were pro road riders, hell a lot of the fattest ones dress as if they were. I wish I could earn what a top pro BMXer earns.
Exactly - to me it's all rather disappointing and reminiscent of the adverts from the 70s that portrayed Hovis bread in a nostalgic '50s setting with a dirge-like brass band soundtrack. It's one that nearly everyone remembers, and it probably sold lots of loaves, too.
In the same way it's clear that Halfords exhibits little commitment to increasing cycling as an everyday mode of transport, beyond encouraging bike sales. I would be more impressed if such a high profile retailer could put its weight behind the adoption of proper infrastructure that would give all kids the freedom to cycle more in a safe environment, thereby creating a young customer base that gets around mainly by bike, as well as a sustainable market both for its bikes and cycling accessories.
It does seem a rather short term strategy to sell yet more bikes most of which sooner or later end up on ebay or gumtree, or rusting in a garage or garden shed, because the target market is too afraid, or not permitted, to actually use them freely.
Unfortunately, in its role as a leading retailer of car accessories, Halfords is seriously conflicted in this regard.
Is it 1986 again? Bike or ZX Spectrum...
Wait a minute, the only time I am not looking at a computer screen is when I am sleeping or riding my bike. It is 1986!
You can beat an egg but you can't beat a bike.
Obligatory helmet moan approaching - please look away now if offended:
Making kids wear helmets, either in adverts or in 'real life', is kind of the opposite of “encapsulating the freedom of cycling for children".
Carry on
I like it. It reminds me of getting a bike for Christmas in the 70s.
Train Set.
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Merry christmas everyone.
Brilliant strapline for a the leading retailer of car bits.
One brake? Seriously? Bloody hell I wonder if the advertising complains department will withdraw it? I hope it has reflectors and a bell... That will go down well in ramp-works!
Lowest form of Whitt I known sorry
It has a brake? Bloody 'ell, when I were a nipper we stopped by riding into walls or each other. Kids o'today don' know they're born!
But Christmas is a bloody miserable time of year to receive a bike, coz the weather's shite. My daughters both get their bikes for their birthday, but then they're spring babies, so all's good.
I kinda like it, but the tagline is stupid because it's pretty obvious that although bikes are ace a flying sleigh obviously beats a bike. Also the lad in the hoodie only has one brake, I know this is normal on a BMX but Halfords don't sell 'em like that and it's not a great message to send, being illegal and all.