Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Car Culture

Kia Car Ad Touts Bike-Friendly Attitude

A new Canadian television ad for the Kia Sportage, filmed in San Francisco's Financial District, markets an attitude of acceptance about the responsibility of sharing the road with bicycles. It's quite a contrast from the conventional image of cars as an embodiment of power and dominance.

While the ad encourages drivers to share the road, it still reassures them that the car is "perfectly capable of 'owning'" it, and its slogan suggesting that driving is a part of any real change does sound a lot like greenwashing.

It is refreshing, however, to see a car manufacturer's marketing strategy that acknowledges the impacts of automobiles on the safety of cycling and prominently features San Francisco's sharrow markings.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Commentary: Will San Francisco Succeed at Daylighting?

Unfortunately, with the debate about painting curbs or not, the city seems to be setting itself up for failure

November 26, 2024

Eyes on the Street: Horton Street Awesomeness

Emeryville's Horton Street sidewalk-level bike lane taking shape/almost completed. May we have some more please?

November 23, 2024
See all posts