CANNONDALE SYNAPSE GLOBAL PRODUCT LAUNCH
The Only Mate
You Need.
Endurance cyclists have a habit of taking things a little too far. To launch the new Synapse, we embraced the absurdity of endurance culture, celebrating a bike built to handle just about anything.
PARTNERS
Oatly
Muc-Off
Rapha
Lachlan Morton
ROLE
Brand Strategy
Campaign Direction
Creative Direction
Pro Race Kit at a BBQ?
That's a bit much mate.
01 — STRATEGY
Some things are made to do one job brilliantly. Synapse does it all.
Endurance cycling is a world of marginal gains, obsessive rituals and an almost unreasonable commitment to performance. It's a culture we know and love, but one that doesn't always take itself lightly.
The new Synapse challenged that single-minded thinking. Fast enough to race, comfortable enough to go all day and versatile enough for whatever the road throws at you.
Rather than another campaign about speed, stiffness and technical specifications, we saw an opportunity to have some fun with the category. Celebrating the absurd lengths athletes go to, while making a simple point about a bike that can do it all.
IDEA
The Only Mate You Need.
OUTPUT
A global, humour-led product launch, combining a hero film, brand collaborations and Lachlan Morton's record-breaking ride around Australia.
02 — THE CAMPAIGN
Taking things a little too far.
We brought the idea to life through a series of tongue-in-cheek sketches, taking the rituals of endurance cycling to their ridiculous extremes.
Ice baths filled with Oatly. Water bottles topped up with a Muc-Off pressure washer. Full Rapha race kit worn to a barbecue.
Each sketch played with the idea of something designed to do one job brilliantly, being put to completely the wrong use.
The humour gave us a natural way to bring other brands into the story, creating unexpected collaborations and a campaign that felt part of cycling culture, rather than another conventional bike launch.
03 — THE LAUNCH
Of course, behind all the humour was a bike with some serious credentials.
Lachlan Morton had already put the new Synapse through the ultimate endurance test, riding 14,200 kilometres around Australia and setting a new fastest known time.
The same bike designed for everyday rides had been pushed to one of the most extraordinary extremes imaginable.
It gave the campaign a perfect balance. A playful take on the obsession of endurance cycling, backed by a remarkable demonstration of what the product could really do.
CAMPAIGN CONTENT
Synapse: The bike to break records.
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BRAND DIRECTION / 2025
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CAMPAIGN WORK / PREVIEW
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