Cycling has taken on a whole new audience of keen bikers across the world in recent years thanks to improved cycling networks, a dedication to lowering carbon emissions and, importantly, city-based bike hire schemes. These bike hire schemes take a number of guises, from tap and pay docks to GPS drop-offs to new schemes offering monthly leases. While they are popular, their brand identities can be lacklustre and uninspiring, and don’t share an identity with the cities they’re based in. This means they tend to rely on regular customers and word of mouth, rather than their ability to use their own products as a free marketing tool.

​

The challenge is to (re)Imagine the identity of a local bike hire scheme in a city of your choosing. This can be one that already exists or a new scheme. Pick either a GPS, dock based or monthly lease bike scheme, depending on what makes the most sense to your chosen location. This challenge is all about the brand identity for your scheme. Don’t get hung up on what makes this scheme different from others, but instead how your identity can encourage people to opt for a bike over other options. Your identity should consider the opportunities bike hire can offer someone in your city, the experiences they’ll encounter and create an identity that sells this opportunity.