Pedicab Ad

You might think that pedicabs are only popular in India, but you might not be aware that pedicabs are already making big waves in the transportation industry in some of the bigger cities in the United States. In New York, Portland, Denver, and other cities, pedicabs are picking up passengers and they are, at the same time, helping protect the environment as they use pedal power. And recently, pedicab drivers and operators have a new source of income and that is advertising.

There are distinct advantages in advertising on pedicabs. Gary Geske, the owner of Pedaltek, a Phoenix-based pedicab company, said: "The difference with pedicabs is they’re sitting at eye level. You’re not driving by them at 60 mph. The drivers are in constant circulation, so the chance to see one of them two or three or four times a night is high. They go places where billboard trucks can’t go. On the Fourth of July we went up and down Mill Avenue in Tempe where cars can’t go, but the crowds do."

Here are the details of Pedaltek's advertising sideline:

• Lead-time is a week to 10 days from submission of creative.
• Most campaigns are for a year, Geske says. There is a premium for shorter flights.
• The two types of signage are a 30 square foot backlit wrap and a 20 square foot four-sided wrap.
• The advertiser provides creative and Pedaltek takes care of production and installation.
• Ads are available in downtown Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale.

This shows that pedicabs are not only good because they do not produce greenhouse gases like Volkswagen shocks-equipped automobiles but also because of their flexibility. Large companies have already placed their ads on pedicabs showing that this is not just a fad. Here are some of them: Wells Fargo, Budweiser, Kinko’s, General Motors, Hooters, J.P. Morgan, Altoids, Microsoft, Yahoo, Celestial Seasonings, Sam Adams, Coca-Cola and MSN.