Real Passengers Feature in Landmark TfWM 'You’re Bussing It' Campaign, Brought to Life by Lauren Midwinter & Scenester Films

West Midlanders are being given reasons to leave their cars at home and take the bus in a new, this awesome region-wide campaign, brought to us by Scenester Films. It features images of real passengers, a billboard covered in tear-off bus tickets, and a film shot in a single take.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) initially approached with a brief to help shift perception among the region’s residents about using buses. The resulting campaign builds on the “You’re Bussing It” brand platform, which Impero developed with National Express West Midlands in 2022, also using real-life passengers. It marks the first time that TfWM has run a campaign in partnership with all the region’s bus operators.

At its heart is a 30-second film, shot entirely in one take. Set inside a bus during a single stop, the film gives a glimpse into what has brought a diverse range of passengers on board – and why they love it. The voiceover tells us that a bus ride is “a slice of life on wheels,” with a reminder that trips cost as little as £2. It ends with the familiar “You’re Bussing It” strapline.

The film was directed by Lauren Midwinter, and produced by Tim Marshall through Scenester Films.

Print and poster images feature real passengers photographed on the West Midlands bus network over three days in the summer. Alongside their photos, we’re given the context of their journeys, such as the shot of two students on the No.50 to Kings Heath at 16.34, captured as they were “Escaping the campus.”

The OOH campaign also includes a special-build billboard covered in bus tickets, aimed at students. Members of the public can tear away a ticket and win a journey, eventually revealing campaign imagery underneath.

The campaign runs across the West Midlands region, with the TV ad breaking on 1 October, alongside press, OOH, radio, and digital activity.

Rachel Foy, Head of Marketing and Communications, West Midlands Combined Authority, said: ‘You’re Bussing It’ comes at the perfect time to encourage residents of the West Midlands back on to the bus network. Funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan, our multi-operator campaign observes real-life bus passengers, truly humanising the mode and convincing people all across the region to give the bus a go, and encourages long term behaviour change.. It’s been great working with Impero, along with National Express, Diamond and Stagecoach, to create a campaign that challenges the stigma around bus travel.”

Credits

Executive Creative Director: Alastair Mills

Senior Creative: Christopher Spore

Creative: Sophia Tassew

Motion Editor: Precious Salazar

Designer: Charlie Dyckoff

Senior Account Director: Sophie Herkes

Account Manager: Taylor Godwin

Head of Strategy: Charlotte Willcocks

Senior Strategist: Tim Dobbs

Agency Producer: Clare Thomson

Project Manager: Kate Blackwell