Bontrager's ads Got the Upgrade from Planet Propaganda

Planet Propaganda expands upon the success of its "Upgrade" advertising campaign for Bontrager. The 2008 campaign maintains the tightly focused, highly saturated, fashion-quality photos of Bontrager's wheels and components. Slightly shifting the call to action, the new ads transition from a rally cry, "Upgrade," to a point of proof, "Got the Upgrade," while carrying through implication that if you don't have Bontrager; you may be at a disadvantage.

Launched this May, Bontrager's 2008 advertising campaign continues "to play on the fears and aspirations of serious cyclists by combining drool-worthy product imagery with athletes that have tested and chosen Bontrager on their own bikes," says Planet Propaganda's associate creative director, Dave Taylor.

Tour de France and Giro d'Italia winner Alberto Contador, American National champion Levi Leipheimer, 2000 Olympic Games medalist Andreas Klöden, and four-time Redlands Bicycle Classic Overall champion Chris Horner are among the recognizable names and faces appealing to Bontrager's core cycling and racing audience and corresponding magazines. In addition, relevant product-athlete combinations from the 2008 campaign will appear in publications reaching mountain bikers and triathletes.

Taylor worked closely with photographer Jeff Salzer to art direct the global cross-section of athletes shown in the 2008 ad campaign. "It was quite a challenge to wrangle all the products and people in one place," acknowledges Taylor. "We had cyclists from all over the world in one studio; many of whom spoke no English. Along with the products that were tested and endorsed, we had prototypes that many of the athletes had never seen before, so it was difficult to keep them focused on the photo shoot."

"These are precisely engineered components -- from handlebars to seatposts to wheelsets. Bontrager offers some of the lightest and fastest products around," says Rob Sax, Planet's president and brand management director. "The cyclists who buy these products expect them not only to perform, but to improve their performance as competitive riders. They're always tweaking, always upgrading. It's in how they prepare."

As expected, hundreds of photos were taken, but only a handful is chosen for the campaign. To make the final selections, Taylor and Sax remained in near-constant collaboration with Natascha Grief, Bontrager's brand manager. Photographic and graphic elements from the 2008 ads also will be incorporated into Bontrager's dealer show, sales training tools, retail marketing materials, t-shirts and promotional products, website and online videos.

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