Our Approach
Across our work with Metro, we combined audience research, strategy, creative development, media planning and buying, digital and social media, influencer partnerships, community engagement, and ongoing optimization. Our campaigns included:
Ridership and destination marketing: Boosted ridership and deepened community connection by tying Metro to the culture of Los Angeles—through Metro Art, seasonal ridership campaigns, and active transportation initiatives like Bike! that made transit feel relevant, vibrant, and accessible.
System expansion and construction: Educated communities about major projects including the D Line Extension, K Line, and Regional Connector using plain-language messages rooted in transparency. We tailored outreach to the neighborhoods most affected, helping residents and businesses understand construction impacts, project milestones, and the long-term benefits of expanded transit.
Access and affordability: Increased adoption of Metro programs by positioning them as practical, affordable solutions that make daily transportation easier—whether saving time with ExpressLanes, staying active with Bike Share, expanding access for students through GoPass, or helping low-income riders access reduced fares through the LIFE program.
Service and safety: Advanced a culture of safety by making it a shared responsibility between Metro and riders, reinforced through clear messaging, seasonal campaigns, and digital tools like the Transit Watch app.
Programs and workforce: Helped Metro launch and promote services including SoCal 511 and Bike Share, while supporting recruitment campaigns that elevated bus operators as essential community heroes and introduced more women to opportunities in construction.
Voter education: Built voter support for Measure M, LA County’s Traffic Improvement Plan, by framing transportation investment as essential for mobility, jobs, and quality of life.
Our media strategy met Angelenos wherever they were. We layered traditional and digital to maximize reach, including:
- Out-of-home across stations, buses, and billboards
- Broadcast and digital radio targeting key commuter windows
- Social and programmatic digital, with geo-targeting around service lines and new stations
- In-language buys across Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Armenian media
Community engagement was equally important. Civilian supported Metro’s town halls, workshops, and listening sessions with messaging, collateral, and facilitation. We partnered with community-based organizations to ensure messages on safety, programs, and construction reached residents through trusted voices and channels.
Featured Work: Connect DTLA
Some of our most creative work came with the opening of three new Downtown Los Angeles stations: Little Tokyo, Historic Broadway, and Grand Ave/Bunker Hill.
We created Connect DTLA, a ridership campaign that positioned Metro as a gateway to DTLA—connecting people not just to new stations, but to food, art, entertainment, friends, and the energy of the city itself. Bold visuals and a simple, impactful campaign mark brought that idea to life.
A hyper-targeted media campaign spanned billboards, paid social and search, radio, streaming audio, print, video, streaming TV, and movie theaters. We partnered with six influencers whose audiences were interested in food, dining, art, museums, and cultural events, giving them the freedom to showcase their own DTLA experiences while demonstrating the convenience of getting there on Metro.
Our commercial ran during a Rams game. And when Taylor Swift came to Los Angeles—followed by the release of The Eras Tour movie—we tapped into the cultural moment with billboard creative encouraging fans to take Metro to the show.
