With the new YT Izzo launching with one of the most unique launch videos we have ever seen, we decided to look through the archives and find some other unconventional edits used to launch new bikes. From Christopher Walken to Goldilocks, this one gets weird.
YT Izzo:With its anime stylings, the YT Izzo launch video may be light on actual riding or even shots of the bike itself but it makes up for that with tons of style and high production values.
Juliana Strega:The edit made for the launch of the Juliana Strega is another example of high production values and is one of many excellent videos to come from Santa Cruz/Juliana. It also features a high-speed horse chase which is definitely not something you normally see in bike edits.
Transition Smuggler:More often than not, building a video around one joke is normally a recipe for disaster, but in this video for Transitions Carbon Smuggler, they balance it perfectly as a certain online commenter tries to get his hands of the carbon version of the Smuggler.
YT Capra:What's definitely not your 3-minute shredit? How about a 12-minute horror film involving kidnappings and a goat-man? This is strangely not the weirdest bike launch video from YT.
Trek Supercalibre:It's extremely rare to find an XC product launch video that is worth mentioning, but last year Trek surpassed everyone's expectations with the wonderfully weird take on Goldilocks starring World Cup XC racer Jolanda Neff.
Cotic Soul:Because why not base your bike announcement video on the Blue Brothers?
Nukeproof Digger:Yes, it may not be a mountain bike but when you put Elliott Heap, Tommy C and Pies together you get a pretty memorable edit.
YT Jeffsy:In what is by far the weirdest launch video, YT teams up with Christopher Walken for their Jefsy promotion. You do have to wonder how much it cost to get Walken and whether the investment has paid off...
Specialized Stumpjumper:For their new range of Stumpjumpers in 2018, Specialized took a tongue-in-cheek look at the new range in a video that makes fun of all the standard bike launch tropes.
Norco Optic:Bryn Atkinson somehow makes slow-motion look fast as he charges hard on the Norco Optic for the 2020 product launch video.
Pivot Les Fat:Eddie Masters, a fat suit and a fat bike. The less said about this one the better.
Santa Cruz Bronson:Another masterpiece of an edit with Josh Bryceland and Santa Cruz. This time around Josh is accompanied by some animated friends he gets up to his usual antics out on the trails. This is another contender for the greatest bike launch video of all time.
Specialized Stumpjumper:It's great to see Specialized fully embrace the weirdness with their 'Oh Delilah' video series.
Rocky Mountain Slayer:If you name your bike 'Slayer' then surely it's almost obligatory to reveal it with a horror film-esque edit?
Forestal Bikes:Cedric Gracia might not quite have the acting chops of Walken but Forestal gets conceptual with their brand launch video.
Specialized Stumpjumper Evo:Specialized continue their odd launch videos with their fake fragrance: 'Rowdae by Stumpjumper'
Charge Cooker:Things get pretty hairy as Rob Jarman puts the Charge Cooker through its paces.
GT I-Drive:Now we know that 'Mad Max on bikes' really doesn't look as cool as it sounds.
Cotic Rocket:Cotic makes the list once again with their Rocket edit that features the bike based superhero 'Rocketman'.
Santa Cruz Chameleon Carbon:In a video that manages to surpass all expectations, Santa Cruz proves they are one of the masters of the unconventional bike launch edits with their take on Culture Club's 'Karma Chameleon'.
On the other hand, the Trek launch video is a clear winner for me. These guys are a big soul less corporate machine and yet they produced such a brilliant little flick making fun themselves. Jolanda is amazing there. I'm still not gonna buy an XC rig from Trek but I really enjoyed that.
Any video from Santa Cruz featuring Josh just makes me want to ride. The one from Madeira is the best to be honest. The thing, when I watch him riding I genuinely don't care what is written on the down tube of the bike. The guy is just an embodiment of style and talent.
I love the vid from Norco. I didn't even know It existed but now that I've seen it I want to jump on my Optic, find some corners and practice. Inspiring.
OK, I'm not too keen on the vids from Cotic but seeing shots from the Peak District where I cut my teeth as a mountain biker just makes me miss the place and the riding there.
...by doubling their revenue every year... YT was an absolutely unknown brand just 6 years ago - YT Wicked was like a unicorn, nobody has seen it in real life. Today when I hit the trails, every 4th bike is a Jeffsy.
I think they're doing pretty good.
It's just the branding of the company feels really fake and pretentious. To be honest, no one has to give rats ass about this as long as they are happy with the bikes ...
THEY.ARE.GERMAN
That's just the way it is. Some things don't come naturally to some people but goddammit they are trying, Their bikes took my riding up many levels from where I was stuck and they've always done me right (never needed a warranty, but I f'd up a couple things myself and they corrected my errors free). But yeah, there is always a hint of awkward with our Teutonic brothers and sisters and I accept them the way they are.
YT ads don't resonate for me (Christopher Walken aside) but they are definitely themselves and that makes them cool in their own right. . .I suppose.
I still think Life Cycles might be the most iconic bike movie I've seen.
Can we get a Life Cycles 2 - aka more of this from Bryn?
*squints at teleprompter*
"..adventures, and lots of, uh, good times."
.. Well ok there is Canyon, Cube etc but you know what I mean..
With horses for the gurls
And some nice witchbacks, too !
www.tetongravity.com/video/bike/specialized-just-dropped-the-best-marketing-video-ever-made
So yay for this one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6bdW-nhr9Y
Slayer music?? Seriously..