Urban professionals, meet your new commute

To hit some pretty bold bus patronage targets, Auckland Transport launched the Travel Myths campaign, aimed squarely at shifting how urban professionals view and use the city’s busiest bus routes. These “Central Corridors” (Mt Eden, Sandringham, Dominion, Great North, and New North Roads) move thousands of people daily, with buses every five minutes at peak. It’s fast, efficient, and right there, yet many still default to the car.
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Old habits die hard

Let’s be honest, some commuters just aren’t keen on the bus. Despite the convenience, there’s still a perception that public transport isn’t for them. Whether it’s seen as a student thing, or simply “not what professionals do,” those outdated views have been a real barrier to change. The Travel Myths campaign tackled these beliefs head-on, helping people rethink their routines with a smart, funny, and fresh approach.

Breaking the cycle (with a wink)

Backed by solid customer insights, we built a creative platform that playfully exposed the myths people tell themselves about bus travel. The key ingredients?

Debunking Myths with a Twist: Each ad took a common excuse, then flipped it. It wasn’t preachy or pushy, just a gentle prod to challenge the status quo.

Pop-Art Punch: Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein, the bold, comic-book visuals stood out from anything AT had done before. Bright, cheeky, and undeniably scroll-stopping.

Conversational + Clever: We paired dapper characters with sharp, self-aware banter. The tone? Lighthearted, a little self-deprecating, and totally relatable.

Benefits Without the Hard Sell: We didn’t rattle off stats. Instead, we hinted at the perks, speed, savings, less stress, through creative copy that let people draw their own conclusions.

New voice, new results

This was a bold shift for AT. Traditionally, their campaigns leaned practical and pretty safe. But with this one, we helped them tap into humour and emotion, two things that connect deeply and move people to act. Sure, there were nerves at the start. Getting internal buy-in took a bit of nudging, helped along by a clear strategy and strong customer insight. But once the creative landed, the results spoke for themselves.

And it worked. Big time

Within six months, the Travel Myths campaign had racked up over 49,000 extra trips across the central corridors. It proved that with the right tone and strategy, even the most cautious organisation can take a creative risk, and win. The cherry on top? AT took home the Public Sector Gold at the 2014 NZ Marketing Awards. Proof that challenging assumptions, both inside and outside the building, can drive real change.