MBTA: SL3 Launch

Web Development

Content Strategy

Brand Identity

The MBTA strives to deliver the services that riders need most—across rail, subway, bus, and ferry transport. Our work with the MBTA has included several campaigns designed to support the MBTA’s efforts to expand services.

01

Objective and Target Audience:

Educate audiences about the SL3 as a viable option for commuting in and out of Boston from Chelsea and, to a lesser degree, the North Shore. Audience focus was primarily on Chelsea, with additional attention paid to audiences in East Boston and the airport.

02

Challenge

Convince riders to change behavior by choosing the new SL3 instead of established commuting habits using the 116, 117, and other overcrowded routes. Allay fears about making the commute more complicated and/or running afoul of established issues such as the Chelsea Street bridge closure.

03

Relevant Data and Research

Alipes drew heavily on MBTA ridership data and surveys, as well as primary research including interviews with MBTA and MassDOT representatives with extensive personal and professional experience on the ground in Chelsea. Alipes creative and strategy teams also spent time riding the 116 and 117 bus lines, and tested the transfer process in Chelsea neighborhood stops to better understand the customer experience and available messaging opportunities.

04

Solution and Execution:

Using data gleaned from the MBTA and inspiration from the neighborhood on which this campaign was focused, Alipes developed a creative platform that draws on “people in the neighborhood”—Chelsea residents from all walks of life who rely on bus service to get to and from Boston, the airport, and other locations around the Hub. We developed a multi-language campaign that features custom, candid photography and video work to create an authentic, relatable audience experience and drive confidence in the new service.