Your ride is out there - and so is a killer ad campaign

Posted in: Transit Vertical Market Articles
By John Campbell
Apr 3, 2008 - 9:56:05 AM
Digg this story!

Printer friendly page

With anemic rider numbers and surveys showing an overall negative public perception, Lexington’s LexTran transit system was in urgent need of an image boost, and AD-SUCCESS rose to the occasion with one of the most successful ad campaigns in recent memory. Capitalizing on the enormously popular TV series, “The X-Files,” AD-SUCCESS produced a series of TV and radio ads that were so arresting they became the subject of TV news stories and trade journal articles, and so effective that they reversed the course of LexTran’s public image. The spots were replete with spooky atmosphere, trench coat-clad agents, flashlights in the dark, and an evocative, illuminated bus destination sign: “Further.”  

***image1***Effective Spots

Surveys also showed a 9% increase in college student riders

An 8% increase in total riders

A 238% increase in Southside Connector riders (a route promoted in the campaign)

A huge jump in approval rating for LexTran among students and the general public

Memorable Spots

Surveys revealed 81% recall of the spots

Of that 81%, 95% recalled specific copy points

All four Lexington TV stations ran news features on the campaign

Public transit national trade publications ran articles on the campaign

Lexington’s daily newspaper, the Herald Leader, and regional business publication, The Lane Report ran features on the campaign

Awards

The Lex Miles campaign won five Gold Awards at the Lexington Advertising Club’s annual ADDY presentation (MORE)

South West Transit Association named Lex Miles the Overall National Best Marketing Campaign

CLICK HERE to view the Lex Miles TV Spots