Cyclists encouraged to 'start doping' by athletic performance materials maker 37.5
The team behind the Cannes Lions-winning 'Welcome to the Cliffside Shop' is again looking to gain some notoriety for its athletic performance fabric, but this time with a decidedly different marketing angle.
37.5 Doping Kit for cyclists
37.5 is encouraging cyclists in particular, during this Tour de France season, to 'Start Doping' with its own doping kit. But rather than trying to hide illegal performance enhancers, the company, working with the agency WorkInProgress, is featuring a doping kit made from its body-cooling materials.
The program, called 'Dope With This,' the brand is offering to help clean cyclists dope for the first time, but with the 37.5 technology that it claims has been proven to increase an athlete’s energy efficiency and output by reducing the increase in core temperature during exercise, similar to wearing a cooling vest circulating cold water. This increase in performance is similar to results seen from illegal doping, but 37.5 Technology is 100% legal.
During the Tour de France, a few free doping kits will be made available each day at StartDoping.com. But even for those that don't get a free kit, the doping kits contain a cycling jersey, bibs and socks with 37.5 Technology made by Mission Workshop, the first passive cooling fabric technology shown to increase human performance and increase the body’s ability to manage core temperature.
“If we can convince even one clean athlete to start doping with our fabric technology, then it’s all been worth it,” said Dr. Greg Haggquist, chief technology officer and founder of Cocona Inc., parent company of 37.5 Technology.
Those interested in the campaign can follow @thirtysevenfive on Instagram to find out when the stash has been re-upped each day.
“Hopefully this free sample will get them hooked on doping,” said Jeff Bowman chief executive officer of Cocona Inc. “And then they’ll keep crawling back for another fix.”
Added Andrew Lincoln, creative director and co-founder at WorkInProgress: “Given that doping has played a key role in sports over the last 50 years, particularly cycling, we figured the best way to get cyclists’ attention was to give them what they want, a legal way to dope,” said Andrew Lincoln, a creative leader and co-founder at WorkInProgress. “We’re using the tried and true 'first taste is free' approach.”
Whether you agree with the drug allusions and dealer-esque tactics, the brand certainly is getting attention.
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