YT’s ongoing ‘Friendship’ saga taps into nostalgia for third chapter

Sometimes a mountain bike is better described by a feeling, or relationship, than a marketing category. YT pushed this concept hard with its series of launch videos for its popular Jeffsy trail bike. Now in its third generation, YT sells the Jeffsy as a friend, more than any specific kind of bike. That concept has resulted in some of the more interesting videos to come out of the mountain bike world. So, as YT releases MKIII Jeffsy, let’s look back at a history that somehow, improbably, involves Christopher Walken selling a mountain bike.

Before Jeffsy was announced, YT released a cryptic video, I Hate Jeffsy. It didn’t give any hints at what was coming from the German brand but it did garner heaps of attention. It ended up being a great teaser for a bike that was, for YT, a completely new style. Instead of hyping that it’d be the brand’s first 29-er, at a time when big wheels still churned up some 27.5/29 controversy, the ad simply told riders there was something new coming. Then made them wait.

I Hate Jeffsy! (2016)

“We’re born alone. We die alone. And in-between we spend our lives looking for something. Connection, that’s all we want.”

This was the grandiose, high-concept opening to a three-minute monologue delivered by the mega-watt star power of Christopher Walken to launch the second-generation Jeffsy MKII.

YT pushed into uncharted territory for a mountain bike ad campaign by hiring the Oscar-winning actor. But the “friendship” theme of the Jeffsy stayed consistent. In fact, Walken’s monologue in Frenship Redefined was, like in I Hate Jeffsy, only ambiguously about the bike until the end. Unfortunately, you don’t get to see Walken actually ride a Jeffsy.

Friendship Redefined Featuring Christopher Walken (2019)

Where does YT go from here? How do you top the heights of Hollywood star power?

For The Power of Friendship, YT taps into a force more powerful than celebrity. Imagination. Or, perhaps more accurately, nostalgia. The retro launch video dives deep into the universe of 80s superheroes to announce the Jeffsy MKIII. There’s even an amazing cameo from YT founder Markus Flossmann, playing a TV shopping channel host. Dig into the VHS vibes of The Power of Friendship.

The Power of Friendship (2023)

YT’s flare for narrative (gnarrative?) isn’t limited to Jeffsy ad campaigns. Similarly cinematic releases accompanied the Izzo short travel trail bike and the latest version of the Capra enduro rig.

The campaigns are all far from the usual shredding, stats and engineering of other bike launches. None of YT’s videos even feature any riding. Which is kind of refreshing, to be honest. It is, at the very least, fun to see a brand try something different. And YT’s campaigns certainly attract attention beyond the usual realm of us cycling nerds. They’ve also inspired other brands to create campaigns that are less literal and more fun.