Admittedly, the cyclist in a complete outfit made of bubble wrap looks funny, but the slogan Evoc chose for the advertising campaign is true: "Not pretty, not safe". And the crackling protective armour is certainly impractical. With this bizarre campaign, Evoc wants to draw attention to its Commute A.I.R. PRO 18 airbag rucksack. The Munich-based manufacturer is also jokingly responding to criticism from the social media community, where one user wrote as a review of the rucksack: "I might as well wrap myself in bubble wrap." Let's start at the Evoc headquarters.
Evoc wants to attract attention in road traffic with two e-bikes with monitor superstructures. Behind the eye-catching, rolling televisions follow poor Sarah, wrapped in bubble wrap, and Wolfgang, who is happy to be safely equipped with an airbag bike rucksack. They are followed by a train of Evoc employees who are filming or otherwise supporting the campaign. They travelled across Munich throughout the day. A curious campaign that can not only be seen as an advertising measure for the rucksack, but is also intended to create a little more awareness for safety in cycling - both on the road and off-road.
We want to make cycling safer. The airbag has been standard in cars for decades and has significantly reduced the severity of injuries to car drivers since its introduction. Based on our experience from avalanche airbag research and our expertise in the field of protection, we have designed a product that provides cyclists with more comprehensive protection in the event of a fall and thus makes commuting by bike safer. - Holger Feist, Co-Owner and Managing Director Product at Evoc
Evoc airbag backpack: a lot of work with TÜV certificates
Evoc had actually already presented its airbag backpack at Eurobike 2022 with a demonstration of the loudly popping airbag and had already announced it in 2021. However, the Commute A.I.R. PRO 18 has only been on sale since this March. In the meantime, the developers at Evoc had to collect various TÜV certificates. The challenge here was that although these certificates are available for avalanche backpacks with airbags, they are not available for those for road use, where the airbag has to be deployed much more quickly - namely in the brief moment - in this case within 0.2 seconds - between falling and hitting the ground. But above all because the decisive impulse for this is given by a sensor unit and not by a person.
How does the Evoc airbag backpack work?
The airbag system (developed jointly with MINERVA-AS GmbH) is activated and deactivated by closing the magnetic Fidlock buckle on the chest strap. A USB-chargeable sensor system then analyses the position and orientation of the rucksack up to 1,100 times per second. If the airbag is actually used, the large air cushion protects the neck, shoulders, collarbones and chest area - precisely the areas that are most often injured in falls when cycling. The airbag expands at lightning speed from the top centre edge of the backpack over the shoulder straps around the upper body. There are zips there that are closed at the exit point with a Velcro strap and open due to the force of the escaping gas in the airbag.
In addition, the Evoc Commute A.I.R. PRO 18 protects the spine with a back protector (EN 1621-2; Level 2) integrated into the rucksack. According to Evoc, this can reduce up to 80 % of the impact forces that occur during a fall. However, cyclists should always also wear a helmet, as this is the only way to provide the best protection for the head.
Evoc Commute A.I.R. PRO 18: Reusable after an accident
The Evoc airbag rucksack is made from recycled polyester and offers plenty of space for everything you need to transport in addition to the protective technology: It is just as suitable for a weekend tour as it is for travelling to work. Numerous organisational compartments and a padded laptop compartment make the airbag backpack a good all-rounder.
It also makes sense that the Evoc airbag backpack can be reused even after an accident - only the inflator with the gas cartridge needs to be replaced. Evoc has an exchange offer for this on its website, including recycling of the deployed cartridge unit. If the removable back protector is visibly damaged after an accident, it will be replaced as part of the free crash replacement programme.
The airbag itself - provided it has not been damaged in the fall - is simply folded up again along the printed lines and put back into the rucksack.
Details of the Evoc Commute A.I.R. PRO 18 airbag backpack
- Volume: 18 litres
- Dimensions: 18 x 30 x 53 cm
- Material: recycled polyester
- Features: reflective elements | adjustable straps | carrying handle | hip belt | key clip | loops for helmet holder | front compartment
- Area of application: commuting, mountain biking
- Weight: 2150 g
- Price: 990 Euro
You can see the Evoc Commute A.I.R. PRO 18 live at Sport Schuster in Munich. There will be an information and sales area for the airbag backpack there until 17 June 2023.
Marc Strucken
Editor
