Wunderman Thompson: Ecox Emergency Bikes

An electric bike designed by and for doctors

Paris is one of the most congested cities in Europe. Drivers spend as many as 140 hours a year stuck in traffic, and for doctors and medics time lost can mean lives lost. In case of an emergency response, every minute wasted in traffic decreases a patient’s chance of survival by 10%. To combat this issue, Wunderman Thompson Paris conceived, developed and partnered with Ecox to create a new solution: the first urban-proof medical vehicle, an electric bike designed by, and for doctors called Emergency Bikes, complete with a large insulated box to carry medicine.

Wunderman Thompson was inspired to create the bikes during the wave of protests in Paris in late 2018. The strikes centred around rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax and brought Paris to a standstill. As an electric bike retail brand, Ecox is committed to researching new eco-mobility solutions, and is focused on helping city doctors improve their response times to emergency calls, making them a perfect partner. Working with the bike manufacturer Urban Arrow and Paris Emergency Services (UMP), the agency developed a specification document to help create the bike based on the needs of doctors. They then designed the bike, helped Ecox create the first prototype, and created the digital assets, posters, and visuals for promotion. Together with Ecox, Wunderman Thompson encouraged UMP to use the Emergency Bikes so that life-saving help could arrive where and when it was needed most, no matter what was going on in the streets.