“We were warned.”
A new viral marketing campaign to promote public transportation funding begins with the above phrase printed on a small white sign.
The sign is held by a young boy wearing a dust mask.
The next scene is of a teenage girl, in the middle of a busy city street holding a sign that reads: “Higher exposure to traffic emissions have been linked to breast cancer.”
And so goes the 60-second ad that features shot after shot of demographically diverse individuals silently holding signs that focus on the environmental and financial benefits of public transportation.
The ad was produced as a final project by members of the 2009 class of Leadership Metro Richmond, a community service organization. The group offers an annual leadership program geared to professionals; a group of five participants from this year’s class chose public transportation support as a vital aspect for Richmond’s future.
Debbie Schebe, director of strategic alliances for Creative in Ashland, was one of the five members who developed the ad.
“If there is ever a vote for additional funding we want them to be aware of the issues,” Schebe said, “whether they are environmental, or if it affects the availability of workforce, or new students getting to a job opportunity.”
The video directs viewers to visit a website set up by the group, www.transittalk.com
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP3XJGSOqm0[/youtube].
The ads were produced with the GRTC Transit System and WWBT Channel 12. The ads will air on Channel 12, but Schebe said the video will be promoted on social networking sites such as Facebook and Digg. In addition, Schebe said they are starting an e-mail chain as well. Robert Angle, Marleen Durfee, Merlyn Frederick, and Michael Jackson are the other four members of the leadership class responsible for the campaign.
“We want people to view the video and make it a conversation around the dinner table and the water cooler,” Schebe said, “We want people to understand why it is important to the economic vitality of the region.”
The video targets the business community with two signs shown back-to-back. One reads: “There are 32,474 employers in the Richmond area,” the next one reads: “25,640 of which are NOT on the bus line.”
Another sign, held by a waiter, claims that for every $1 invested in public transportation $6 is generated in local economic activity.
The group will also run ads in the local print media.
“We were warned.”
A new viral marketing campaign to promote public transportation funding begins with the above phrase printed on a small white sign.
The sign is held by a young boy wearing a dust mask.
The next scene is of a teenage girl, in the middle of a busy city street holding a sign that reads: “Higher exposure to traffic emissions have been linked to breast cancer.”
And so goes the 60-second ad that features shot after shot of demographically diverse individuals silently holding signs that focus on the environmental and financial benefits of public transportation.
The ad was produced as a final project by members of the 2009 class of Leadership Metro Richmond, a community service organization. The group offers an annual leadership program geared to professionals; a group of five participants from this year’s class chose public transportation support as a vital aspect for Richmond’s future.
Debbie Schebe, director of strategic alliances for Creative in Ashland, was one of the five members who developed the ad.
“If there is ever a vote for additional funding we want them to be aware of the issues,” Schebe said, “whether they are environmental, or if it affects the availability of workforce, or new students getting to a job opportunity.”
The video directs viewers to visit a website set up by the group, www.transittalk.com
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP3XJGSOqm0[/youtube].
The ads were produced with the GRTC Transit System and WWBT Channel 12. The ads will air on Channel 12, but Schebe said the video will be promoted on social networking sites such as Facebook and Digg. In addition, Schebe said they are starting an e-mail chain as well. Robert Angle, Marleen Durfee, Merlyn Frederick, and Michael Jackson are the other four members of the leadership class responsible for the campaign.
“We want people to view the video and make it a conversation around the dinner table and the water cooler,” Schebe said, “We want people to understand why it is important to the economic vitality of the region.”
The video targets the business community with two signs shown back-to-back. One reads: “There are 32,474 employers in the Richmond area,” the next one reads: “25,640 of which are NOT on the bus line.”
Another sign, held by a waiter, claims that for every $1 invested in public transportation $6 is generated in local economic activity.
The group will also run ads in the local print media.