CASE STUDY: 'Turntable Rider' popularises bike sharing concept in Japan

Aim
Cogoo is a bicycle sharing service aimed at young urban Japanese. When it launched, the bicycle sharing culture evident in countries like the Netherlands was virtually unheard of in Japan. The challenge was to introduce the service to people in a way that would help bicycle sharing take root.

Execution
Working with Cogoo for the launch campaign, Hakuhodo defined music as the thing young people most enjoyed sharing. This inspired the creation of the ‘Turntable Rider’—an accessory that converts a Cogoo bicycle into a musical instrument using the wheels and handbrakes to mix and scratch. The concept transformed Cogoo into a means of communication, promoting both the sharing of bicycles and music.

Results
According to Hakuhodo, “one bike has never been shared with such excitement before”. The Cogoo Turntable Rider inspired a new playground for youth to interact, combing stunt sports and music. 80,000 participants experienced Cogoo through live events; footage of the initiative generated more than 500,000 Youtube views in the space of two weeks; and most importantly, Cogoo registered new subscription rates three times the original forecast. The Turntable Rider will enter into mass production in the spring of 2013.

Credits
Brand: Cogoo
Agency: Hakuhodo
Creative director/copywriter: Kenta Ikoma
Art director/designer: Junpei Fujita
PR planner: Kazuaki Matsui
Director: Yusuke Tanaka (Caviar)
Cinematographer: Yusuke Oka
Lighting director: Jun Sakai
Sound designer: DJ Baku
Hiroshi Uehara: BMX coordinator