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Showing posts from October, 2019

ON BEING A HUMAN BILLBOARD

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Help us beat blood cancer here High-end cycle clothing firm, Assos, has an intriguing tagline in its advertising, “Sponsor yourself”. The reference of course, is to the tradition of commercial companies backing professional cycling teams. Firms of every hue from hearing aid manufacturers, to lotteries, cement-makers and even a controversial UK fracking company (who took up a contract with what was team Sky) at one time or another have given their names to pro teams. One quid pro quo of the deals made between cyclists and these organisations is that the team kit will be emblazoned with company logos, turning each rider into a human billboard on wheels. What the firms get in return for – bankrolling much, if not all, of the team’s operation – is exposure. It’s no coincidence that on crossing the finish line of a grand tour stage, the victorious rider invariably sits up in the saddle and makes sure his or her jersey is zipped right up to the neck. This e