Bike to Work Campaign
A national campaign to promote cycling as a mode of transportation and encourage businesses to support the shift towards cycling.
Key Figures
Strategy & Approach
Tools & Channels
Key Achievements
Corporate Participants
Campaign Posters
Objectives
To reshape public perception of the bicycle — from a sport accessory or a niche mode of transport for youth and low-income groups — into a practical, inclusive urban mobility solution for all. To actively engage the private sector in the cycling agenda and position businesses as key allies in advocating for cycling infrastructure development.
Role
Creative Strategist & Lead Coordinator
Time
2015 → 2022
Target Audience
Working urban residents.
Key Figures
  • > 50
    regions where the campaign was officially supported by local administrations
  • > 400
    participating private sector companies
  • > 1 000 000
    employees across participating companies

Strategy & Approach

Launched as a grassroots initiative with no initial funding, the campaign required a creative and scalable communication strategy to reach its ambitious goals.

  • Visual Identity & Messaging

    A set of simple, relatable poster visuals was introduced to establish a distinct and emotionally engaging brand language.

  • Open Participation Infrastructure

    All materials were available online, allowing anyone to share and promote the campaign independently.

  • Corporate Engagement

    Participation was based on a simple requirement: companies had to inform their employees about the campaign via internal communication. This low-barrier entry allowed for rapid scaling across diverse sectors.

  • Incentive Network

    Local businesses and chains like Starbucks and Subway offered rewards to cyclists, providing extra motivation — especially for first-time participants — while gaining visibility through placement on an interactive city map.

  • Storytelling for Culture Shift

    The campaign shared year-round stories of people from diverse backgrounds who commute by bike, presenting relatable role models. Stories were later adapted for exhibitions and media projects.

  • Targeted HR Partnerships

    Collaborations with industry-specific events and career platforms provided access to HR and CSR departments, helping scale outreach through trusted B2B channels.

Tools & Channels

  • Campaign Website

    Central hub with guides and visual assets to support participation by individuals and organizations. Included an interactive map showing partner locations.

  • Communication Kits

    Pre-made content for employee newsletters and intranet posts, enabling quick and easy promotion within companies.

  • Social Media

    Official social media channels were actively used to share updates, visuals, and cyclist stories, encouraging organic engagement and community participation.

  • Editorial & Exhibition Projects

    Editorial collaborations and park exhibitions featured stories of everyday cyclists, extending the campaign's presence beyond digital channels and into public urban spaces.

  • Telegram Bot

    A custom-built Telegram bot allowed users to quickly locate nearby (1−2 km) partners offering bonuses, enhancing convenience and engagement.
In cities with underdeveloped cycling culture, cyclists often remain invisible. Opponents of bicycle infrastructure may ask, ”Who even rides bikes here?” — and companies are sometimes unaware that their own employees bike to work. Showcasing real people and their stories became a central tool for communicating the campaign’s message.
Selected Corporate Participants
Campaign Posters
A series of simple yet playful visuals, centered around the slogan ”It doesn’t matter what your job is — you can bike to work,” was proposed as a core communication element. Posters quickly gained popularity among a wide audience.
Gena is a friendly, accordion-playing crocodile from the Soviet cartoon “Cheburashka“, who worked at a zoo as a crocodile and became a beloved and iconic character in Russia.
Later campaign visuals included posters featuring real people who use bicycles as a means of transportation.

Key Achievements

  • Participation by companies grew significantly, reaching over 400 across various sectors.

  • Recognized with a national environmental award for impact and public engagement

  • More than half of participating companies installed bicycle parking at their offices, and approximately 25% implemented most of the recommended measures for promoting cycling among employees.

  • Some companies went beyond internal communication and engaged their clients as well. For example, Intesa Bank displayed campaign visuals across its ATM screens nationwide.

  • At least 10 major companies initiated cycling infrastructure projects in cities where they maintain offices.

  • Thousands of media stories helped shift the public image of cycling by highlighting people in everyday clothing, not just sports gear.