GM had to make a public apology for their recent ad that offended many cyclist. Their advertisement implied that college students should stop riding bikes and buy a GM car because its embarrassing and they will not be able to “pick up” the opposite sex. GM’s tagline was “stop pedalling… start driving” and “reality sucks, luckily GM college discount doesn’t.” This ad caught the eyes of many environment friendly activist such as David Suzuki and Lance Armstrong. The ad not only encourages students to buy a car but also indicates that it’s not “cool” to bike and they should feel humiliated when they are around friends and opposite sex. Not only is cycling affordable but it serves as a form of transportation that does not harm our environment so heavily, as opposed to a car which pollutes 200 grams of hydro carbon per kilometre.
The ad was published mostly in college newspapers to encourage students to go for their discount. A professor at UCLA was so offended that he made sure his opinion were heard in the Daily Bruin.
“GM, the company that required us taxpayers to bail it out in 2009, is now biting the young people who bear and will bear the environment and health damage of its gas swilling ways,” the professor wrote. “While every driver in LA knows that the reality which truly “sucks” is the grid-locked, car-loaded, obesity-enhancing, stress-generating car-toxicity of simple commuting in this region.”