BNB & BPHC Team Up on Helmet Campaign
Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) are working together on a campaign targeted at getting Boston youth to wear bicycle helmets.
BPHC approached Bikes Not Bombs in June about getting the BNB Youth involved in the campaign. The commission wanted the message to come from youth and began with a focus group on why young people don't wear helmets. The basic answer was that they are viewed as 'uncool'. Together, BNB Youth and BPHC developed the "You'd Be Cooler in a Helmet" Campaign.
On July 4th the BNB Youth "Helmet Street Team" rode around Boston to parks and festivals to tout the message. They wore shirts with the campaign tagline and handed out information about how to buy $5 helmet at the Boston Medical Center Gift Shop.
Since the initial efforts, the campaign has added an internet-focused component with short videos and a WIN-A-BIKE contest on Facebook. So far, three videos have been posted on Facebook and YouTube, all of which were written and acted out by Bikes Not Bombs youth:
The Facebook contest, sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission, is open to Boston-area youth, ages 11-25, and is easy to join. Just upload a picture of yourself wearing a helmet onto the WIN-A-BIKE event page and write a caption about why you're cooler in a helmet. Two winners will get to pick out a bike (up to a $500 value) from the Bikes Not Bombs Bike Shop and will also receive a free lock and helmet.
For full contest rules and for links to information and videos, go to www.facebook.com/healthyboston and click on the "WIN-A-BIKE" contest in the events tab.
BPHC approached Bikes Not Bombs in June about getting the BNB Youth involved in the campaign. The commission wanted the message to come from youth and began with a focus group on why young people don't wear helmets. The basic answer was that they are viewed as 'uncool'. Together, BNB Youth and BPHC developed the "You'd Be Cooler in a Helmet" Campaign.
On July 4th the BNB Youth "Helmet Street Team" rode around Boston to parks and festivals to tout the message. They wore shirts with the campaign tagline and handed out information about how to buy $5 helmet at the Boston Medical Center Gift Shop.
Since the initial efforts, the campaign has added an internet-focused component with short videos and a WIN-A-BIKE contest on Facebook. So far, three videos have been posted on Facebook and YouTube, all of which were written and acted out by Bikes Not Bombs youth:
The Facebook contest, sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission, is open to Boston-area youth, ages 11-25, and is easy to join. Just upload a picture of yourself wearing a helmet onto the WIN-A-BIKE event page and write a caption about why you're cooler in a helmet. Two winners will get to pick out a bike (up to a $500 value) from the Bikes Not Bombs Bike Shop and will also receive a free lock and helmet.
For full contest rules and for links to information and videos, go to www.facebook.com/healthyboston and click on the "WIN-A-BIKE" contest in the events tab.