An Innovative Ride  |

Getting mind share for public transit in an automobile-dominated market takes daring ideas and energetic presentation. Excited by the challenge, Brickworks was eager to work with Burlington Transit (BT) to promote bus travel as an essential community service. Beginning in 2003, and reinvented each year following, Brickworks developed campaigns that incorporate innovative ideas and attention-getting media to gain new traction for BT in its market area. In the process, we brought new partners to the table to work with BT on mutually beneficial sponsorship and marketing initiatives.

TransIT UseIT

In 2003, Brickworks devised a new marketing platform to raise BT's profile and promote the benefits of public transit to Burlington residents. Our first campaign, called "TransIT UseIT," was shaped to actively engage potential riders.

Student Awareness Program

The TransIT UseIT campaign sought to increase student ridership by introducing a Student Awareness Program to high schools. Brickworks created and installed display cabinets with relevant transit information and promotional material at many city schools.

Advertising All Around

Brickworks' campaigns have garnered significant exposure for Burlington Transit in its market area in media such as the Burlington Post, City Talk and City Update, the semi-annual Parks & Leisure guide, Heritage Week, Silver and Gold, Burlington's Sound of Music Festival and RibFest.

Shelters, Wraps and Billboards

A Brickworks-created campaign, including mass outdoor advertising, positioned BT as an essential community service. The 2005 campaign, called "We'll Take You There," was adapted to a series of bus shelters, bus wraps and billboards.

My Wheels - Season One

Capitalizing on the success of My Wheels, we expanded the campaign in 2007 to include taglines directly targeted at students, GO train riders and seniors.

We also promoted transit as an environment-friendly alternative by incorporating the tagline "Drive Green".

My Wheels - Season Two

BT wanted its 2006 campaign to get personal, so Brickworks created a platform that encouraged people to embrace transit as their own.

The "My Wheels" campaign we created employed a number of media, including spectacular "bus wraps" that featured people typical of BT's target markets.

Travel Training Workshops

Seniors are a key BT market. Brickworks designed Travel Training Workshops and organized presentations for BT at several retirement and long-term care facilities.

The workshops provided seniors with helpful information about how to use transit, and showed seniors how easy, comfortable and safe it is to take the bus.

GO for LESS

To promote Burlington Transit's special 50 cent fare for GO train commuters, Brickworks created and executed a direct mail campaign targeting newly-built communities with a large proportion of GO train commuters.