Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

 
Looks like we have a contender for Livable Streets Ad Campaign of the Year, courtesy of the Alabama-based Regions bank chain.

In this spot, which debuted last year as part of Regions' ongoing "Expect More" series, a thirty-something woman is walking down a city sidewalk when she approaches a bright green bike. An older man, who has presumably just dismounted the bike, hands her a helmet, and off she goes. The indie rock score kicks in, and our cyclist takes to a bike lane, joining others on identical rigs. As they whiz by stalled traffic and gather en masse, a narrator intones:

What if there was a better way to get where you're going? A simpler way, with more control? At the new Regions, we're all about making it easier for you to reach your goals. It's time to see what it feels like to have the wind in your hair and a bank by your side.

With that, she reaches her destination -- a Regions branch, natch -- but instead of parking the bike at the conveniently located rack, she hands it off, along with the helmet, to a young guy who's just exited the bank himself. Bike share!

This ad is populated by full-grown adults -- dignified, relaxed, wearing regular clothes -- using bikes as part of their daily routine. Instead of making them the butt of a joke, Regions is tapping into the feeling of freedom that cycling commuters enjoy every day. The company is also putting its money where its mouth is, having donated a passel of bright green bikes to Centenary College of Louisiana for use in a real-life bike share program.

Hats, and helmets, off to Regions.

Video: splaim20 / YouTube

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Albany Running Out of Options to Close MTA Funding Gap: Watchdog

Tighten the belt and give up the frills, the Citizens Budget Commission warned.

March 21, 2025

Advocates Demand New Jersey Agencies Cough Up Congestion Pricing Data

NJT and the Port Authority need to cough up some actually useful post-congestion pricing travel data, advocates on both sides of the Hudson River said.

March 21, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Fake Deadline Extended Edition

It's the first day of spring and, if you're U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, it was supposed to be the last day of congestion pricing. But it's not. Plus other news.

March 21, 2025

‘Disaster’: Outdoor Dining Snafu Could Ban Alfresco Booze For Months

It's shaping up to be a sober outdoor dining spring.

March 20, 2025

Congestion Pricing’s Big Winner? Bus Riders

Buses move faster in and around New York City ever since congestion pricing kicked in — spurring MTA officials to tweak some route schedules.

March 20, 2025
See all posts