South Africa – Merging sport with socialising, cycling brotherhood Biking Bandits has teamed up with brandy company Klipdrift on a campaign spotlighting the benefits of ‘social riding’ for South African communities.
Part of Klipdrift’s Friends with Purpose series dedicated to powerful tales of friendship, the campaign showcases cycling in a different setting from the typical media portrayal. The film follows the founders of Biking Bandits in the streets of Soweto as they explain how they created a community dedicated to 'bringing cycling back to the hood' to mitigate the pandemic-induced loneliness.
Biking Bandits actively promotes freedom of movement and aims to shake up the stereotypes around cycling’s representation in the media. ‘The face of cycling in South Africa has been predominantly white and [Biking Bandits] is reinforcing that this is an activity everyone can participate in, wearing what they want and cycling in whatever spaces they want to,’ says Dylan Davies, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi South Africa.
Speaking to Neo-collectivists, the initiative shows how next-generation communities can redefine and decolonise the shape of sports like cycling.
Strategic opportunity
Taking cues from Biking Bandits’ joyful and inclusive approach to sports, make sure your storytelling isn’t perpetuating gatekeeping within communities but making room for all stories
