First Bus calls out train fare hikes in OOH campaign

First Bus has unveiled a tongue-in-cheek out-of-home (OOH) campaign, highlighting newly reintroduced peak train fares in Scotland.

Created by brand and creative agency MadeBrave, the OOH campaign, titled ‘Fair’s Fare’, has been rolled out across 14 sites in Glasgow, directly calling out hikes in train fare costs and comparing them with bus travel prices.

The campaign highlights that an any-time return ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh will now cost £31.40 instead of £16.20, with bus transport positioned as a fairer alternative to train travel.

Many of the billboards have been placed directly next to main train stations in Glasgow. The campaign features imitations of handwritten notes written on train tickets. One design has the ‘peak’ label of the train ticket vandalised so that it now reads ‘sneaky peaky’.

The roll-out of the campaign has been supported by a brand activation event where commuters were given free coffees to, in MadeBrave’s own words, “ease the pain of the new fares.”   

Speaking of the campaign, MadeBrave executive creative director, Steven Hadden, comments: “Our latest campaign champions everything that is good about the bus, from its stable pricing structure to its alignment with the needs of everyday people.

“First Bus is a cherished client here at MadeBrave […] They understand the power of work that creates fame, that breaks free of category norms and ‘Fair’s Fare’ is a great example of this. We’re delighted to see it out in the wild making waves.”

First Bus Scotland commercial director Graeme MacFarlan adds: “While we’re happy that Glasgow commuters are choosing to travel by public transport, bus offers a fantastic option for commuters.

“With the reintroduction of peak rail pricing, we wanted to brighten commuters’ days by providing a warm coffee to help them on their journey.”