Client: Japanese bike engineering superpower Shimano.

Challenge: How does one shift the attitudes of many mountain bikers so they accept e-mountain bikes as an enhancement to the sport rather than “cheating?”

Spy Work: You don’t. Careful spy work revealed younger riders are as dedicated to the endurance required uphill as they are to the rush of speeding down it. Period. However, as mountain bikers age, get injured, fall out of shape – this attitude shifts. Those who wish to continue in the sport will eventually discover (on their own) the attraction of mountain-biking with an electric boost.

Core insight: ignore the haters. Position e-Bikes to older riders as a way to never stop riding.

Tailor Shop: Using humor and kinetic visuals in our Never Stop Riding campaign, we engaged top influencers to emphasize enhanced performance while noting the inevitable need for electric mountain bikes for aging and injured riders.