FreeBike Project Allows Companies To Advertise While Helping Students Get To Class On Time
EXPOSITION PARK (CBSLA.com) — Some USC students are depending on a free service to get to class on time.
The FreeBike Project, which was founded by two former USC students from Denmark in 2011, allows companies to advertise on bicycles available for students to rent for free.
"We took an entrepreneurship class at USC, and we had to come up with a class project, and so we came up with this idea and ended up doing it in real life," founder Kim Sanderhoff said. "It's a marketing solution that allows students to ride free bikes and companies to reach the demographic in a way that's not intrusive, but very effective."
Sanderhoff and his partner Johan Bender have expanded their company to more than 20 college campuses, including UCLA.
"In Denmark, everyone bikes. It's one of the main sources of transportation," he explained. "So, when we came over here, and we saw that a lot of people used those bikes on campuses, we wanted to explore that opportunity and see if we could make something beneficial."
The bikes are free, but students must pay a deposit, which is refundable at the end of the school year.
"There is one requirement, but it's a fun one — we ask that you post one photo a month of Instagram with your bike," Sanderhoff said.
Check out photos on the FreeBike Project's Instagram account and #FreeBikeProject.