Get on the Bus -BayCoast Bank
Background
In the Fall of 2015, while working for an agency in downtown Portsmouth, one of our largest clients, BayCoast Bank, approached us about putting together a sizable campaign aimed at promoting the importance of education. The South Coast of Massachusetts, where BayCoast is located, has been struggling with education for the better part of the last 50 years. Low high school graduation rates, limited funding for extra curricular programs, and very few students from the area electing to attend any college were, and are, unfortunate facts of the area. BayCoast Bank’s CEO wanted to use a significant portion of his 2017 (and beyond) marketing budget to raise awareness about these issues, and, more importantly to give back to the community. It was up to us to figure out how.
Brainstorming
Traditionally, this would be EXACTLY the kind of project an entire agency would come together to work on. A faithful client asking his agency to flex their collective creative muscle to come up with something completely new. Unfortunately, the agency I was working with at the time was going through some…changes. We were understaffed not only from a manpower standpoint, but from a talent standpoint, as well. That meant that it was up to my art director and I to come up with this plan from nothing.
Within minutes of starting our first brainstorming meeting, we decided that this program needed a large, mobile “mascot” in order to make this program work. We needed something to bring to schools, little league games, fundraising events, and and wherever else we wanted to get our message out. After some deliberation, we came up with a branded school bus.
With the “bus” in our back pocket, and our big-picture goals clear, we split up. My art director started concepting names and imagery for the program, while I spent the next week or so figuring out exactly how the whole program would work.
The PDF to the right is the what we came up with. It describes the project, breaks down all of the pieces, presents a timeline and provides a detailed budget!
The presentation is long, but I’ve included the whole thing here, as understanding the level of detail included with this project (and how thorough the initial pitch was) is important.
Click on the Image above to expand the presentation.
Production
Our presentation was a hit! The BayCoast team loved the “Get On the Bus” look (which was also my favorite) and gave us the green light to get started. It was time for the proverbial rubber to hit the road.
There were dozens and dozens of interconnected components that we needed to get started on, but three stood out above the rest. First, we needed a stand-alone website to push interested traffic to. Second, we needed a clear, concise description of the project, in the form of a video, for the website, and to be shared on social media. Finally, we needed to find a bus and figure out how to “pimp” it out.
The Website
After my art director finalized the “Get On The Bus” brand, I hired a talented web designer we had worked with in the past to put together a website for the project based on the rough sitemap and limited content she had available to her.
It’s since been populated, but the original look and feel and navigation are just as they were in early 2017 when it launched!
The Video
Despite the internal struggles I mentioned earlier, my former company employed a supremely talented video producer who put together the video to the right. I enlisted some help with the script (I’m a bit longwinded) and set him off on his merry way, knowing that he’d produce an awesome video. He did not disappoint.
The Bus
The last of the big three pieces needed was the actual bus. We laid out a plan to put couches, desks, iPads, a TV, wifi and more inside the bus. With the help of a freelancer we frequently used, we found a bus in Pennsylvania, had it delivered to NH, and interviewed more than a dozen vendors interested in taking on the project. Tiny Homes of Maine ultimately won the job. They did the majority of the interior work, but the bus was driven all over northern New England to multiple vendors during fabrication. All told, we worked with 11 vendors during the 3-month fabrication. These vendors ranged from a vehicle wrap company to a welding operation who took care of the steps. From an independent electrician who did thousands of dollars of wiring, to an awning shop who built a custom awning for the bus. I can honestly say this bus was the most complicated project I’ve ever worked on, and the one that I’m the most proud of.
Click Images to the right to expand.
The Bus upon delivery.
Initial framing of interior.
The Bus half wrapped.
Custom stairs being installed.
Electrical components behind the rear door.
Rearview mirror selfie!
Final product upon delivery to client!
Get On The Bus GUIDE
When we delivered the bus to BayCoast, we also delivers them 50 “GOTB Bibles”. I had been keeping detailed notes on how everything was supposed to work from the very beginning of this project. Seeing as how I had effectively created and “how-to” guide for this entire program, I decided to shine it up and print some out for BayCoast.
It took a little more work than I had anticipated, but this final guide covered EVERY aspect of the program from how to physically drive the bus, to how to use the technology within. It also contained language about the GOTB program and FAQ’s that we anticipated visitors asking.
Click the image to the right to flip through the guide!
Check out the guide (presented here in spreads).
Results
I decided to move on from my previous employer 2 months after the campaign launched. That said, I’m proud to say that the program that I dreamed up has gone on to flourish just as I knew it would. In the fall of 2018, the program was actually recognized with a national award!
Check out the website getonthebussoco.com to see some of the awesome results the produced!
Although I wasn’t there to reap the rewards of my hard labor, I’m happy to report that the program was an undeniable success, and it’s still going strong almost 2 years after we delivered the bus to BayCoast!
Click the image to the right to read the writeup!
Click above to read more!