Ride with Lethbridge Transit

The Challenge

Lethbridge Transit had spent three years running million-dollar deficits. Ridership hadn’t recovered from the pandemic. A network redesign had improved frequency but confused some longtime riders.

The operational side was being fixed. New routes. A mobile app. Dedicated staff at terminals. But none of that mattered if nobody knew about it.

The transit authority needed to change the story. Not just announce schedules, but reframe what the bus could be. For parents, a safe way to give their kids independence. For the general public, a modern system worth trusting again.

The Solution

We produced two video campaigns, each targeting a different audience with a different message.

“Discover Independence” was designed for youth and their parents.

The product was the Youth Summer Pass — two months of unlimited travel for the price of one. The value was obvious. The barrier was psychological. Parents worry about safety. Kids worry about looking lost.

The script addressed both:

“Just planning my day on the transit app. Makes getting around super easy.”

“Hang out with friends, explore new places. I get some time to myself.”

And for the parent watching over their shoulder:

“Plus I know they’re in good hands.”

“Not spending half my day in the car anymore.”

The final line lands both audiences together:

“Let’s go hit the pool.”

That pool reference wasn’t abstract. Fritz Sick Pool. Henderson Lake. Actual places Lethbridge kids go in the summer. The bus became a vehicle for summer life, not just transportation.

The video was the digital hook for a broader campaign. Staff hosted “Learn to Ride” pop-ups at the Farmers’ Market, teaching first-time riders how to plan trips and load bikes. Awareness through video. Education through events. Conversion through the Summer Pass.

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“Ride with Lethbridge Transit” was designed for the general public.

Different audience. Different anxiety. This one wasn’t about freedom. It was about reassurance.

The tagline: “Enjoy a safe and supportive way to get from A to B.”

The visuals focused on what the Transit Transformation had actually delivered — accessibility features and kneeling buses, dedicated staff at the Downtown Park ‘n’ Ride terminal, clean modern vehicles on recognisable Lethbridge streets.

The goal was to counter lingering perceptions of neglect or unreliability. If the marketing looked professional and human, viewers would attribute those qualities to the service itself.

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Both campaigns were built on the same principle: show the real system.

Real buses. Real routes. Real Lethbridge locations. The app interface riders would actually use. The terminals they’d actually walk into. We wanted viewers to recognise their city and see a transit network that looked modern, accessible, and worth trying.

The Result

Ridership increased 35% in early 2024, surpassing the highest pre-pandemic levels from 2019.

The transit department moved from million-dollar annual deficits to a $312,000 surplus.

Access-A-Ride customers increased 71% as the “supportive” messaging reached mobility-challenged riders.

The videos didn’t cause all of that. The operational improvements were real. The route redesign worked. But the videos were the public face of the transformation. They told people the system had changed before those people ever stepped on a bus.

Municipal marketing works differently than commercial marketing. You’re not selling a product. You’re rebuilding trust. The audience has been let down before. They’ve waited in the cold for buses that didn’t come.

The job isn’t to be clever. The job is to be credible. And credibility is what gets someone to try the bus one more time.

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Watch the Campaigns

Ride with Lethbridge Transit General audience campaign focusing on safety, support, and accessibility.

Discover Independence Youth campaign promoting the Summer Pass and positioning transit as freedom.