Auckland Transport's 'Mix Your Go' Turns Cars Into Clingy Companions

Auckland Transport’s ‘Mix Your Go’ personifies your car as a clingy pet, encouraging people to consider alternative transport options. Created by Federation and Supernormal, the spots depict a car trailing its owner to work, and play on dry, Kiwi humour to make absurd scenarios that feel relatable.

The campaign aims to shift commuting habits by framing car dependency as an inconvenience, with engagement and behavioural changes in public transport usage key metrics for success.

Supernormal director THUNDERLIPS, Federation chief creative officer Brad Collett, and copywriter Gal Stern told LBB that the campaign’s surreal humour, featuring a personified car, has the potential to be more memorable than a straightforward public service message.

They also highlight the importance of balancing absurdity with relatability to gently challenge car dependency without being preachy, and the campaign’s broader goal of encouraging Aucklanders to explore alternative transport options.

LBB> Why did you choose humour and a playful dynamic between the woman and her car over a more straightforward public service message?

Brad and Gal> We wanted to make something that’d actually get noticed, and maybe even score us a chuckle. Sure, a straight-up public service message could’ve made the point, but if it didn’t capture anyone’s attention, then what’s the point?

That’s why we went for something with something so unexpected -- a car that’s so jealous of its owner using other modes of transport, that it follows her to work.

A lot of us just hop in the car on autopilot, and we wanted to gently challenge that habit, minus the finger-wagging.

LBB> What inspired the idea of personifying the car as a clingy, almost pet-like follower, and how did you ensure it was funny rather than odd?

Brad and Gal> We don’t hate cars, far from it. We get why people love them. After all, our cars are our karaoke booths, second closets, and midnight Macca’s run getups.

But at the same time, we’re in a bit of a co-dependent relationship with them. We’re so committed, we rarely stop to explore other ways to get around.

So, we figured, what if the car acted like an overly attached partner? Clingy in a cute way, not creepy. Sure, it’s a little absurd, but we kept it grounded by playing it straight -- like the car showing up at work is just another weird Tuesday.

And having the co-worker roll with it helps land the whole thing in that sweet spot of dry, Kiwi humour.

THUNDERLIPS> It was important to us to personify the car in a way that didn't demonise it, because most of us rely on and love our cars, so we made sure the personality of the car was in the cute, clingy zone as opposed to creepy stalker vibes.

Odd can be funny, and there is definitely an element of the absurd to the commercial, but our approach was to play the relationship between the woman and the car as sincere and believable.

LBB> The concept is quite surreal; a car physically trailing its owner. How did you balance that absurdity with a clear takeaway about using public transport?

Brad and Gal> It’s a bit out there, but somehow it feels relatable by making the car have a personality. You felt like you were watching a boyfriend/girlfriend tiff. Good talent, a simple story, and making it feel Kiwi helped. We kept the filming style really low-key and let the visuals do the talking -- that way it still felt grounded and the message came through clearly without us needing to spell it out.

Putting the car in an uncomfortable and unexpected place helps make public transport the perfect choice.

THUNDERLIPS> The idea itself is simple, despite the absurd conceit, so our job as directors was to keep the tone light and make an ad that gives the viewer a gentle nudge to consider other transport options rather than being didactic or preachy.

We shot the ad in a very simple, non-flashy way. We knew that simply seeing the car in an office was striking enough to make the ad stand out and the message come across clearly.

LBB> Office workers can be set in their routines—what insights led to this lighthearted approach?

Brad and Gal> Honestly, it’s not just office workers -- all of us get stuck in our habits.

Especially in Auckland, where jumping in the car is just second nature. So we thought it’d be fun to play with that -- the idea of your transport choice literally following you into work because you’ve decided to ‘see other vehicles’.

We’re not saying you should ditch the car forever, we’re just giving people a bit of a wink and saying, “hey, maybe give something else a go now and then.”

LBB> Rather than just saying “take the train,” the ad frames driving as an inconvenience. Was that a deliberate tactic based on behavioural science, like loss aversion or social nudges?

Brad and Gal> There’s definitely behavioural thinking in there.

We wanted to avoid the whole “you must do this” vibe -- that kind of messaging doesn’t stick and can backfire. Instead, we thought if we showed the car being a bit of a hassle in situations where it doesn’t belong, it might click with people: "huh, maybe there’s a better way to get around today."

LBB> Have you had any unexpected reactions from people who’ve seen the ad? What has the response been like so far?

Brad and Gal> Honestly, we’ve been pretty chuffed with the response. Industry folks have been asking, “Was that you guys?”, which is always a nice pat on the back for the agency. But the real win has been hearing from everyday people.

Someone said it gave them a proper laugh, and my son actually said, “Let’s get the bus today.” That one hit home. Also, the amount of yellow car-spotting going on around Auckland now? Next level.

LBB> Beyond views and clicks, how are you measuring success for this campaign?

Brad and Gal> This campaign’s part of a bigger push -- ‘Mix Your Go’ -- all about showing Aucklanders they’ve got options when it comes to getting around.

The client is tracking everything from brand reputation to actual changes in how people travel around the city. They’re watching the numbers on buses, bikes, trains – all of it. So it’s not just about views; it’s about whether it genuinely shifts behaviour, even just a little bit, makes a big difference.