Muddyfox turns tables on fox hunters in extreme TV ad

LONDON - Muddyfox mountain bikes is using a humorous take on the emotive issue of fox hunting as part of a television advertising campaign to reposition the bike as an extreme sports brand.

Called "the chase", the ads see the bikes turn the tables on the fox hunting community and show a group of mountain bikers -- actually the international Muddyfox racing team -- chasing a hunt master across the countryside.

The hunt master is out of breath and frantically looks for a place to hide. He finds a ridge under which to take cover just as a pack of bikes fly over him. In the final scene of the spot, he gets cornered and lets out a blood-curdling scream. The screen then goes black and the Muddyfox logo appears.

The ads were created by creative start-up agency Tom Dick & Harry and form the agency's first campaign for the Muddyfox brand.

Director Ben Sedley has sought to capture the attitude of the brand with fast pacing and the use of digital video cameras, which were strapped to the bikes and their riders.

The campaign will run across Sky Box Office, Extreme Sports TV, Kerrang! and Q TV from this month. However, Muddyfox says it is looking to extend the campaign later in the year.

Andy Lloyd, brand manager for Muddyfox who planned and bought the TV spots, said: "The team at Tom Dick & Harry did a great job on this ad and they have truly captured the essence of the Muddyfox brand."

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