AAA Bike Patrol: The AAA Brand on Two Wheels

AAA is one of the world’s most well-known and trusted brands—especially for road service. But bulky tow trucks are not known for being nimble in city traffic. AAA ran a small pilot program in San Francisco, providing select road services to cars along the Embarcadero—by bicycle.

We translated the iconic yellow AAA tow truck onto a custom electric-assist cargo bicycle.

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Inspired by SF bike messengers, we adapted the AAA tow truck driver uniform for bike patroller gear. The result was comfortable enough for a full day of biking, yet sturdy enough to protect the patrollers while performing lockouts, battery jumps and more car services.  

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The pilot launched in May 2016 on National Bike to Work Day. We used the AAA Facebook page to pique interest and raise awareness of the new and exciting service. 

Bek pitched the social media presence for the program. She took this photo and wrote the teaser copy.

Bek pitched the social media presence for the program. She took this photo and wrote the teaser copy.

Bek was on-location at the photo shoot and gave creative direction to capture the patrollers at recognizable Embarcadero spots. She also wrote copy for this introductory post.

Bek was on-location at the photo shoot and gave creative direction to capture the patrollers at recognizable Embarcadero spots. She also wrote copy for this introductory post.

Bek was on-location and provided direction to catch the patrollers in action. She also wrote the copy for this post.

Bek was on-location and provided direction to catch the patrollers in action. She also wrote the copy for this post.

The AAA Bike Patrol pilot was a success. AAA Members are surprised and delighted when a bicycle, not a tow truck, arrives to provide road service. Plus, AAA Bike Patrollers arrive nearly twice as fast as a truck in San Francisco traffic. Service has been extended into parts of the Financial District.