How we helped First Bus change perceptions of bus travel by amplifying the benefits of their new fleet
First Bus is one of the UK’s biggest bus companies with over 1.6 daily customers. First launched in 1995, they’ve recently given their buses a major overhaul, to make every single journey more convenient and enjoyable than ever.
We’ve had the pleasure of being their lead strategic creative partner for years and we jumped at the opportunity to work with them on this exciting new project.
The Brief
We were asked to deliver an experiential marketing activation to celebrate the launch of 75 new-and-improved buses across Glasgow as part of a multi-channel campaign. The aim? Change perceptions of bus travel by amplifying the benefits of the new fleet, including low emissions, charging points, and free Wi-Fi.
3
Key consumer attitudes to target
75
New buses to launch
3
Months to launch the project
Brand Activation
Do you remember Hot Wheels toys? Now, do you also remember that movie, ‘Honey, I Blew Up the Kids’? Our idea was a mixture of both. To launch the new fleet, we built a Hot Wheels-style box to house one of the new buses and create a spectacular talking-point in Glasgow’s George Square.
Launch Campaign
We wanted to show the new buses and their key features in situ, across Glasgow. Rather than using real photography, we created colourful 3D renders of the buses, against the backdrop of famous Glasgow landmarks.
700K
Impressions
380K
People reached
175K
Engagements
144K
Video views
3D Animation
We created an animated video for the ongoing bus launch campaign to be used across social media, out-of-home and digital display. This execution quickly and concisely communicated the key messages; the fact that new buses have launched, their key features, and the routes they will be used on.
Behind the Scenes
To show the craft and care that went into each bus, we filmed a behind-the-scenes video that showed the making of the new fleet (and the people behind it all.)
We asked a number of creative agencies to pitch to us a concept we could roll out that would help do something different and eye-catching for our new bus launch. We then selected a marketing agency from the best pitch and the ‘toy box’ idea was by far the most innovative and creative idea that we saw and arguably led to one of the best bus launches of all time!
