The Bicycle Factory

What We Did

In 2009, The Hive conceived and executed a national program that brought all Cadbury sub-brands together under a causal marketing initiative called The Bicycle Factory. The goal of the campaign was to build 5000 specially designed bicycles and deliver them to Ghana where they would turn long walks into short rides for thousands of school children.

The program was designed to educate consumers on the power of bicycles and to show how small purchases can make a huge difference to those in need. It was supported by television, print, online and social media campaigns, and all roads led to TheBicycleFactory.ca where consumers could turn Cadbury UPC codes into bicycle parts. One product equaled one bike part. 100 parts built a full bike. The site allowed users to watch the bikes being built in real time while learning about the difference that the bicycles are making in the lives of young people.

Coinciding with year two of The Bicycle Factory, in September of 2010 “Wheels of Change”, an hour-long documentary that follows the lives of three bicycle recipients in rural Ghana, aired on CTV. The film was conceived by The Hive, produced by Alexandre Trudeau and Booker Sim and featured the music of Ghanaian Reggae star Rocky Dawuni.

Why We Did It

The days of consumers caring about contests to win a car or a trip are over. These sorts of promotions are everywhere without saying anything about the sponsoring brand. The Bicycle Factory was designed to break through this sea of sameness and give consumers a cause they could relate to and rally behind.

Bicycles were chosen because they were solution-focused representations of joy. For people in first world countries they represent joy in the form of fun, fitness and fresh air. But for many people in the world they represent hope, opportunity and sometimes survival.

What's Happened

The Bicycle Factory has struck a nerve with Canadian consumers. In two years, over 9000 bicycles have been built for school children in Ghana. That’s just short of one million product entries! Far and away Cadbury Canada’s most successful promotion, the Bicycle Factory has surpassed all expectations in terms of sales and customer participation. And it’s giving consumers just one more reason to love a company that, through their products and their actions, makes lives a little sweeter.