LA Metro GoPass Back to School Ridership Campaign

Target Audience: GoPass is a program that provides high school students with unlimited access to Metro transit services, offering a cost-effective solution for their daily commutes. We targeted high school students aged 14-18 who are existing Metro riders to promote independence and convenience.

Strategy Objective:To reach hard-to-engage youth, we prioritized a mobile-first strategy with digital content on Snap, TikTok and Meta, using short, impactful videos that resonated with their daily routines. This electronic media approach sparked immediate digital engagement. We reinforced this with street-level OOH in high-traffic spaces near high schools in equity-focused communities, like malls, wild postings, and convenience stores. These bold ads amplified the digital messaging, encouraging students to scan QR codes and engage with GoPass. By combining electronic media with OOH, we created a seamless, multi-channel experience that bridged digital and physical spaces, driving sustained mobile engagement and lasting connections.

Situation Challenge: Reaching today's youth in a diverse, fast-paced city like Los Angeles presents a unique challenge. Our target—primarily high school students, 59% of whom are Hispanic and 22% have immigrant parents—are a mobile-first group, consuming media directly on their phones through electronic platforms. The challenge was connecting with this dynamic, always-on-the-go demographic, shaped by cultural influences and deeply engaged in peer networks. Metro needed more than a traditional marketing campaign. We needed an approach that felt authentic, peer-driven, and seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. Our goal was to make students feel heard and seen, demonstrating that Metro is there for them—not just for school commutes, but as a year-round, relevant transportation solution.

Results Impact: The Go Pass Back to School campaign resulted in a 16% increase in boardings year over year, boosting the frequency of youth riders! Registrations increased 14%?. TikTok and Snap drove highest social impressions – over 18MM :30s had more views than :15s, indicating content resonated OOH delivered over 32 million impressions, resulting in over 465 QR scans on mobile. Wildposting generated 67% of total scans followed by Malls and C-stores.??

Why Submit: Our unconventional approach to electronic media deviated from the typical 100% digital strategy for Gen Z. Recognizing that this audience often ignores traditional ads in favor of peer influence and street-level experiences, we integrated digital with real-world interactions. Using OOH tactics like wild postings and QR codes, we sparked mobile behavior and drove engagement. This approach felt authentic and resonated with their daily lives, making GoPass relevant. The campaign boosted usage frequency, with students who activated their GoPass using it more often beyond school commutes. By focusing on frequency over registrations, we saw a significant increase in long-term engagement.