Evidence of either a marketing or promotional campaign; behavioural change campaign; a PR campaign; or a lobbying/political campaign that delivered a successful outcome.
Useful statistical or anecdotal metrics to include could be campaign reach, take-up, coverage, funding or a positive policy decision.
Previous Winners:
2023: Avanti West Coast: Campaign to increase new female driver recruits
Transport for London: Making the Elizabeth line the transport of choice at Heathrow
In 2022, Transport for London (TfL) launched the Elizabeth line, which not only became part of Londoners' daily travel but also offered a new route for passengers traveling from Heathrow to Central London. To encourage Heathrow passengers to choose the Elizabeth line, TfL developed a targeted communications campaign, addressing challenges distinct from those faced in London.
The campaign began by reaching passengers on their flights, with in-flight pre-roll videos introducing the Elizabeth line before landing at Heathrow. Upon arrival, passengers were greeted by dynamic digital screens located on the baggage carousels in the Arrivals Hall at Heathrow Terminal 5. These 42 screens displayed real-time train departure information using data from the National Rail API.
A key feature of the campaign was the use of flight arrival data to customize messages in the passengers' native languages. For example, passengers from Berlin would see messages in German on carousel 4, while those from Rome would see Italian messages on carousel 9. Content was displayed in both English and the relevant language to ensure clarity.
During the campaign period, TfL delivered over 4 million messages across five languages. To evaluate the campaign’s effectiveness, TfL compared the share of Elizabeth line users from Terminal 5, where the campaign was active, against Terminal 4, where it was not. Results showed an 18% higher share of non-UK travellers opting for the Elizabeth line from Terminal 5, demonstrating the success of this real-time, multilingual approach.
Govia Thameslink Railway: ‘Keep Off The Track’ track – a lifesaving earworm
In 2022-23, over 400 incidents were reported of individuals stepping onto train tracks to retrieve personal items such as mobile phones, headphones, keys, and wallets, marking a 20% rise compared to the previous year. To address this growing issue, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) developed a campaign to encourage safer behavior around train tracks. The initiative involved reimagining the popular children's nursery rhyme "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," transforming it into "Heads, Shoulders, Keys and Phones," with a catchy safety message embedded within the song.
The campaign featured child singers recording the revised track, and GTR strategically launched the campaign during Rail Safety Week. It utilized a range of media, including the song, striking visuals, safety data, and case studies, to highlight the dangers of track retrieval. The campaign reached an estimated 15 million passengers, generating 94 pieces of editorial coverage, all of which included key safety messages.
Survey results following the campaign indicated that 89% of people who saw the content stated they would never attempt to retrieve an item from the tracks. The initiative also saw a 29% decrease in those who expressed willingness to step onto the tracks. This shift in behavior was further reflected in real-life outcomes, with a 40% reduction in track-related incidents and an 83% increase in people asking staff for assistance when dropping items.
North East Combined Authority Get 'Round for a Pound'
In May 2023, the North East Combined Authority introduced a new bus ticketing product for young people under the age of 22. This initiative allows individuals aged 21 and under to take single bus journeys for £1 or less. The offer applies to all bus operators in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, and County Durham and was made possible through multi-million pound funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The campaign promoting the scheme was launched on a tight six-week timeline from the receipt of funding. It included paid social media advertising, influencer partnerships, and out-of-home media such as iWalkers and bus street liners. Additionally, the campaign collaborated with stakeholders across the region to integrate the message into tourist destinations, events, schools, community groups, and more.
The campaign generated over 13 million impressions on paid social media, with organic reach exceeding 70,000. A face-to-face student engagement initiative during Freshers fairs resulted in over 50,000 interactions over seven days. In the first four weeks, one million tickets were sold, followed by a 34% increase in weeks 5-8. The initiative has since sold over 12.7 million tickets, including a rise in rural journeys, providing estimated savings of £10.6 million for young passengers during the cost-of-living crisis.
The scheme has supported approximately 1.3 million public transport journeys across buses, Metro, Ferry, and local rail, generating an estimated socioeconomic benefit of over £24 million for the region.
Go East Anglia: Generation Go!
Generation Go is an initiative led by Go East Anglia (GEA) aimed at building confidence among young people to travel independently, with the broader goal of encouraging a shift towards sustainable transport. GEA identified Year 10 students as a key group who missed out on formative travel experiences due to the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020-21. In response, GEA developed a comprehensive campaign including an educational video offering guidance on bus etiquette, the use of the mobile app, and journey planning via their website, all designed to empower students to confidently use public transport for work, leisure, and education.
Since summer 2023, GEA has been collaborating with high schools in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to deliver workshops that provide practical advice on planning journeys, using GEA’s digital resources, and preparing for travel. Each session includes journey-planning activities tailored to the local bus services, helping students practice key skills such as arriving at the bus stop early, choosing the correct ticket, and understanding return journey times.
As part of the initiative, students receive a complimentary digital weekly ticket to practice what they’ve learned. To date, workshops have been delivered at three high schools, providing 73 free weekly tickets. By July, GEA plans to reach three more schools, benefiting an additional 120 students. The initiative has also extended to Stalham High School’s Autism Unit, focusing on easing social anxiety in public transport settings. GEA is further expanding its reach, with a workshop planned for Build Charity, which supports adults with disabilities.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Walk it Ride It
The "Walk It Ride It" campaign, launched in September 2023, was a 12-week initiative designed to promote the use of public transport and active travel. The campaign focused on real people and positive messaging to encourage participation. It specifically targeted groups with a potential for increased sustainable travel, including individuals traveling for work, education, healthcare, and leisure, young people facing decreasing car ownership, businesses reliant on employee access to transport, and passenger and active travel groups advocating for inclusivity.
The campaign's strategy centered on high-performing bus, cycling, and walking routes to inspire behavioral change. By blending personal stories with data, the campaign reached an audience of 11.8 million impressions through paid search, display, and social media. Additionally, 3.1 million people heard the campaign on the radio, 15 million saw it across 388 out-of-home media sites, and 93,600 households received campaign leaflets.
Results showed a significant impact in areas targeted by bus-specific activities, with bus patronage increasing by 15-19% in the top three areas and 8.4% overall. Survey findings indicated a 5% decrease in car travel, a rise in public transport use, and intentions to increase jogging and walking by 20% and 40%, respectively. Awareness of bike hire and cycle routes improved by 3%. Bus ticket sales also increased, with a 21% rise in single ticket sales and 14% in day ticket sales, generating a 125% return on investment.
Transport for Wales - 'No Second Chances'
As part of the South Wales Metro project, Transport for Wales (TfW) has been installing overhead wires across 170km of track. With the electrification of these lines, the existing issue of trespassing on the Valleys railway now poses a greater risk. To address this, TfW developed a behaviour change campaign aimed at eliminating trespassing. Following six months of research, the target audience was identified as boys and young men aged between 13 and 24.
TfW's strategy was designed to resonate with this demographic by tapping into the popular trend of pre-loved clothing. The campaign subverted the idea of second chances by creating a fictional clothing brand, "No Second Chances," featuring clothes supposedly once owned by individuals who had lost their lives while trespassing on railways.
Over the last 12 months, TfW launched a bilingual advertising campaign using town centres, billboards, social media, and posters at 52 stations. Flyers featuring QR codes were distributed to homes within 200 meters of the railway. The campaign secured media coverage on BBC, ITV, and radio, and engaged influencers with over 10,000 followers. TfW also collaborated with a local drama company to deliver workshops in 104 schools, reaching 11,800 pupils, and hosted a pop-up shop during Rail Safety Week.
The campaign’s success led to a 17% increase in awareness of electrification, a 12% increase in understanding that the cables are "always on," and a 40% reduction in trespassing incidents in 2023 and early 2024 compared to 2022.
Northern Trains: Buy Before You Board: Northern Trains Revenue Protection Campaign
Northern Trains faced a significant challenge, losing £6 million annually due to fare evasion, which directly impacted taxpayers. To address this issue, Northern developed a targeted campaign aimed at supporting revenue protection efforts, balancing deterrence with encouragement to purchase tickets.
Rather than adopting a universal approach, Northern relied on data from its revenue protection teams to identify the primary audience - young male professionals, comprising about 5% of its customer base. Analysis of reporting and prosecution data helped pinpoint key lines, routes, and stations where fare evasion was most prevalent.
The campaign, titled "Buy Before You Board," conveyed a straightforward message. It employed a mix of softer reminders encouraging customers to purchase tickets ahead of their journey and stronger "No Ticket, No Excuse" messaging, reflecting common excuses heard by revenue protection officers. The campaign strategy was designed to gradually persuade customers to buy tickets rather than focusing solely on hard-hitting enforcement.
The campaign utilised 20% of its efforts on out-of-home channels, targeting the top 20 stations where fare evasion occurred, while 80% focused on younger audiences online through paid media.
Prior to the campaign, ticketless travel across the Northern network was at 11%. Through intelligent targeting and customer journey analysis, Northern reduced ticketless travel to 4.5%, with further reductions to 3.3% during the campaign, resulting in £2 million in recovered revenue.
Campaign for Better Transport: Don't cut the card
Following the announcement that Transport for London (TfL) intended to withdraw the Day Travelcard in July 2023, the Campaign for Better Transport (CfBT) conducted an analysis, identifying key challenges visitors to London would face without it. The analysis highlighted that there would be no option to apply National Railcard discounts to contactless payments. Families would need to purchase Oyster cards for children in advance, raising costs by an average of 16%. Visitors could face fare increases ranging from 2% to 51% without the Day Travelcard.
In response, CfBT launched a campaign to preserve the Travelcard, lobbying the Mayor of London, the Department for Transport, and the rail industry. Meetings were held with the Rail Delivery Group, TfL, and Rail Minister Huw Merriman. CfBT's supporters contacted 110 MPs through an online action, sharing personal stories that underscored the importance of the integrated Travelcard system.
CfBT also wrote to 63 inner London MPs and 54 MPs from areas within 70 miles of the capital, raising awareness of the campaign. The tourism sector was engaged through letters to UKInbound, a trade body that brought the issue to government-business discussions. A joint letter to the Mayor, co-signed by local councils, passenger groups, and businesses, further drew attention to the cause.
The campaign garnered coverage in over 40 media outlets, including the London Evening Standard, and featured on several local BBC radio stations. On October 24, an agreement was reached, successfully preserving the Day Travelcard.
Megabus: Let megabus drive you there - megabus Christmas marketing campaign
In winter 2023, megabus launched a marketing campaign aimed at raising brand awareness and encouraging bookings during the festive period. The campaign targeted two main customer segments: young people aged 25-34 and empty nesters. The concept focused on capturing the excitement of traveling to see family and friends, showcasing the role of megabus in facilitating festive reunions.
The campaign utilised various channels, including paid social media, which generated 1.2 million impressions. In addition, 5.5 million customer emails were sent, achieving an open rate of over 26%, surpassing the industry benchmark of 20%. Influencer campaigns resulted in 560,000 impressions and 340,000 total engagements, while radio activity reached 2.8 million listeners through 661 broadcasts.
The campaign also secured 56 pieces of media coverage, with a potential reach of 667 million. Overall recall of the campaign was 31%, with higher recall among 16-35-year-olds (44%) compared to empty nesters (23%). Interestingly, the video advertisement had the highest appeal among empty nesters (64%). Across platforms, video ads and Instagram reels were seen as appealing by 57%, with an overall likeability score of 77%. Nearly all respondents (92%) found the campaign clear, and 72% indicated it would encourage them to travel with megabus.
The campaign culminated in over 9,000 bookings, generating nearly £170,000 in revenue, with 77% of the bookings coming from the away-from-home audience.
Lothian Buses – Jason’s Journey (moved from Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion)
In April 2023, Lothian launched a campaign in partnership with Upmo, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism across Edinburgh, East Lothian, and Midlothian. The collaboration stemmed from Upmo’s service user, Jason, who regularly uses East Coast Buses and Lothian City services to travel from his home in Prestonpans, East Lothian, to a café in the west of Edinburgh where he volunteers weekly.
Lothian and Upmo worked together to create a film titled *Jason’s Journey*, which highlights the importance of public transport for adults with learning disabilities and showcases the accessibility of Lothian’s services. The campaign emphasizes the benefits of bus travel, particularly for individuals like Jason who use the service to access opportunities and gain independence.
Upmo interacts with many service users who rely on Edinburgh and Lothians' buses for greater independence and personal development. The campaign aims to inspire more young adults with learning disabilities to consider public transport as a gateway to opportunities beyond their homes.
In the video, Jason comments on the friendliness of bus drivers and how they contribute to ensuring a safe travel environment. Every Lothian driver undergoes annual CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) training, further supporting the inclusivity of the service. The project also highlights employability, with Jason’s café volunteering symbolizing the positive impact of community integration.
The video was shared across Lothian’s social media platforms, reaching over 200,000 followers, reinforcing the essential role of public transport in local communities.
Stagecoach North Scotland – Aviemore Adventurer
On May 22, 2023, Stagecoach launched the "Aviemore Adventurer," a new bus service developed through comprehensive market and customer research amid declining bus patronage nationally. This service was initiated in response to identified capacity issues at the Cairngorm Mountain car park and a growing desire among visitors for multi-modal travel options, including bus, walking, and cycling, aimed at reducing carbon footprints.
To meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, the service features high-quality vehicles designed to accommodate bike and ski storage, as well as luggage. The branding and livery of the new service were carefully crafted to enhance visibility for visitors unfamiliar with Stagecoach, utilizing a green color scheme that reflects the natural environment and underscores the sustainability of bus travel compared to private vehicles. The livery includes depictions of the Cairngorm mountains and popular local activities, such as cycling and skiing, alongside illustrations of local wildlife.
By January 2024, the service had attracted nearly 20,000 passengers, resulting in approximately 5,000 fewer car journeys based on an average of four occupants per vehicle. This reduction has alleviated car park congestion and diminished carbon emissions. Between July and September, the service recorded an average of 1,200 passengers per day, with vehicles frequently reaching full capacity. Feedback from local authorities, passengers, and stakeholders has been notably positive, highlighting the service's frequency, branding visibility, and capacity to transport sports equipment.
