Summary
Dublin Bus believes public transport should be as inclusive as possible, so it should be just as accessible to people with disabilities as the non-disabled. Their amazing Travel Assistance Scheme is a program designed to teach vulnerable passengers to travel independently around Dublin on any mode of public transport (not just the bus). Our objective was to inform the public about this surprisingly little-known scheme for the benefit not just of Dublin Bus as a brand, but for anyone in the disabled community who might benefit from the scheme.
The Idea
After meeting people from the Travel Assistance Scheme, we quickly landed on the focus of our campaign: a remarkable man at the heart of the scheme named Roger Flood. Roger is a selfless individual who has given “the freedom of the city” to more people than anyone in Dublin’s history. Despite being a near-legendary figure among those he has helped, he is an uncelebrated hero in his home city. We wanted to change that because not all superheroes wear capes – some wear high-vis Dublin Bus vests.
The Thinking
With 1 in 7 people in Ireland living with a disability, Dublin Bus wanted people to know it was committed to making its service accessible to all. Although the Travel Assistance Scheme had been around for over a decade, we identified an awareness problem: unless you already used the scheme, you had probably never heard of it. Most people found out about it through word of mouth from carers or others in their support network. The brand wanted to reach more people with disabilities, as well as the non-disabled (since most disabilities are actually acquired during a person’s lifetime – as a result of an accident, an illness or ageing). From speaking to previous users of the scheme, we realized that, unlike the non-disabled, they don’t take getting the bus for granted. In fact, it can be life-changing as it gives them back the freedom they might have lost.
The Execution
A typical awareness ad might have simply told the audience about Roger Flood and the Travel Assistance Scheme. But we felt this wouldn’t work. Roger is a humble man who shuns the limelight. Besides, we felt that giving a voice to people who have benefited from the scheme and have nothing but love for Roger would be more powerful. Our approach became one of ‘benign cunning’ i.e. to convince Roger we were shooting a traditional corporate video… but with a surprise awaiting him. We would gather some of the scheme’s former participants and take them by bus to the Dublin Bus depot to surprise and thank Roger, hearing about their personal journeys to freedom along the way. At the depot, Roger would be welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and informed that the Travel Assistance Scheme was to receive a prestigious award for its contribution to the city.
The Results
Dublin Bus achieved its main objective of driving awareness of the scheme. The film gained a total of 7.6 million impressions, 3.5 million video views and 76.2k post engagements across the various channels. Research was conducted post-campaign which found that 25% of people in the province of Leinster (where Dublin is situated) were aware of the scheme, rising to 33% for 18-24-year olds. These increased levels of awareness led to a huge increase in engagement: The Travel Assistance Scheme web page experienced a 271% increase in visits. From these web visits, many people registered their interest in the scheme and the Travel Assistance team carried out an additional 12 assists in December 2019 vs. December 2018. To affirm the success of the campaign, Roger Flood was awarded the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Award, which honours and thanks recipients on behalf of the people of Dublin for their contribution to the city.