CT Dept. of
Transportation

case study

branding

advertising

social media

video production

web development

a breakthrough mode-shift transit campaign that's a real trip.

to help transit regain its pre-pandemic ridership, the watsons partnered with CTDOT and their outreach arm, CTrides, to create a bold, out-of-the-box campaign that would forge emotional connections and create new rider routines.

transit is a trip.

the fun fact is, transit is a wonderful thing. it’s not just good for the environment, it has countless benefits for we humans who call this planet home. so, rather than create a traditional transportation demand management (tdm) campaign, we opted to take our targets on a very special ride. 

using local tv, paid social, out-of-home, digital display, sem, geo-targeting, and gas, bus, and train station advertising, we developed a concept that brings the benefits of transit to life in short, humorous scripted vignettes led by the brilliantly talented actor, george hahn.

throughout the campaign, we see george on trains and buses engaging with other passengers, aka also very talented actors, in a number of humorous scenarios—affording our targets an inside peek into transit in unforgettable ways. and it’s encapsulated by our tagline: transit is a trip.

the campaign features brand colors and a modern, celebratory style to fly in the face of “uncool” transit expectations. extraordinary clients, brilliant cast and crew, nicely punctuated with several telly awards.

to see all of these breakthrough spots, visit our transit is a trip playlist.

man on the street social video shorts

as an adjunct to our transit is a trip ad campaign, we created a series of videos that also feature our spokesman, george hahn. here, george uses his improvisational talents while interviewing actual connecticut commuters about the benefits of taking trains and buses, in a “man-on-the-street” style video.

the videos ran on social — instagram, tiktok, youtube — in support of the broader campaign. engagement numbers were impressive for these, well, engaging videos.

to see all of the social videos, visit our man on the street playlist.