TBWA Worldwide Launches The Bike Lane

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- TBWA\Worldwide today announced the launch of the photography project, The Bike Lane, the culmination of a two-day shoot in Shanghai, focused on people of the city and their beloved bicycles.  

The Bike Lane was conceived by TBWA Worldwide's Chief Operating Officer, Emmanuel Andre and TBWA Greater China's Chief Creative Officer, Edmund Choe. Andre, a published photographer outside of his day job, was looking for his next project. Choe, who joined TBWA in 2010, was looking for a way for the Shanghai office to get more involved in the global network, as well as raise awareness and funds for TBWA's long-supported CSR initiative, Room13 International. TBWA\Greater China has supported Room13 locally for five years.

In September 2012, TBWA\Shanghai assembled a team of volunteers and built a pop-up photography studio on Jiaozhou Lu, one of Shanghai's most vibrant streets. The team spent two-days stopping bicycle riders in the street and recruiting them for the project. From hipsters on fixies and businessmen in a hurry, to retired couples and high-school students. The volunteer crew helped to source and set up equipment, find interesting subjects to shoot, captured moments on film, shot behind-the-scenes footage and even moved vegetable trikes, to bring The Bike Lane to life.

"Through this collection of portraits, maybe you'll see something you haven't seen before in China," said Andre. "The welcoming 'Auntie,' the worried schoolgirl, the excited newlyweds. They all have one thing in common: curiosity. Everyone we asked to participate was curious. No one turned us down."

"I'm excited and very proud to be a part of this collaboration. We hope through these images, you'll discover something unique about the people of Shanghai. Like the immense enthusiasm for life and curiosity that is fueled by the desire to be free and to embrace the world in today's new China," said Choe.

The Bike Lane launches with a reception at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York on Thursday February 28, where all photos will be on sale and 100% of the project's profits will go to Room13. The Bike Lane will exhibit in Shanghai later this year.

For more information on The Bike Lane, please visit www.TheBikeLane.org. To learn more about Room13, please visit www.room13international.com.

Credits:

Photographer: Emmanuel Andre
Based on an idea by: Emmanuel Andre and Edmund Choe
Art Composition: Jessica Faller and Emmanuel Andre
TBWA Production in Shanghai: Rannie Lin, Music Chen, Bryan Xiao, Joanna Zhao
Being Production (Shanghai): Ray Sun
RefineImages (Shanghai): Jonathan Zhang, Gustav Liu, Devio Cao
Video editing and montage: Brandon LaGanke (TBWA Worldwide)
E-Graphics Print Production (NYC): Joni Adams, Natalie Fernandez, Pasquale Bortone, George Ashbrook
Art Direction: Ceara Teixeira (TBWA Worldwide)
New York Exhibition: Rhonda George, Aislinn Haggerty, Raphael Bouquillon

About TBWA Worldwide
TBWA Worldwide (www.tbwa.com) creates Disruptive Ideas expressed through Media Arts for global clients, including ABSOLUT, Accenture, adidas, Apple, DATSUN, Energizer, Four Seasons, GSK, Henkel, Infiniti, L'Oreal, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank and Singapore Airlines. TBWA is ranked as a Top 10 worldwide advertising agency and was recognized by Advertising Age in 2010 as the "Best International Network of the Decade." TBWA has 274 offices in 100 countries and over 11,000 employees worldwide.

About Omnicom Group Inc.
TBWA is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

About Room13 International
Room 13 International (www.room13international.com) represents a growing network of student-run arts studios in schools and community settings worldwide. The story of Room 13 began in 1994, when a group of students established their own art studio in Room 13, Caol Primary School near Fort William, Scotland. They ran the studio as a business, raising funds to buy art materials and employ a professional Artist in Residence to work with them. Slowly and organically, Room 13 has gone on to establish a network of creative studios and a thriving community of young artists and entrepreneurial thinkers that stretches around the globe.

SOURCE TBWA Worldwide