LA Metro x LAFC 2018 Partnership: Go Metro to Banc of California Stadium

Target Audience: The audiences for the LA Metro x LAFC 2018 Partnership were current Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) riders and potential new riders reachable through the Los Angeles Football Club's (LAFC) fan base. Metro provides more than 1.2 million boardings per day and the LAFC has a fan base of more than 400,000 fans.

Strategy Objective:The objective was to create an easy-to-remember and engaging message that conveyed transit as a good alternative to driving and sitting in traffic while getting to and from LAFC games. The team sought community recognition from Metro's established visibility and sustainability initiatives by being featured in a Metro-branded campaign within the agency's extensive reach via outdoor advertising, TAP cards, station announcements and digital monitors, online channels, and social media. LAFC integrated the Metro-branded campaign into their team app, social media, and external and in-stadium digital boards. The club also provided incentives for Metro riders with TAP cards at their team store.

Situation Challenge: A mutually beneficial opportunity arose with the arrival of LAFC, a new professional sports team in Los Angeles that began play in 2018 at a new stadium that was a short walk from the Metro Expo Line. With the stadium located in an oft-congested part of the city and with no new parking for the stadium, we wanted fans to develop a habit from the onset of riding transit to games.

Results Impact: A game-day survey, given on September 15, 2018, indicated more than 32 percent of LAFC game attendees had ridden Metro, a significantly higher percentage of riders compared to the LA region's other established sports teams, which average roughly about 26 percent Metro ridership. The campaign succeeded in making Metro a fun and viable option to reach LAFC games. Through the partnership, LAFC positioned Metro as the transportation option of choice for fans in its inaugural season ' and created a tradition that will endure for many seasons to come.

Why Submit: This entry should win an AdWheel Award because it demonstrates a successful partnership between a new, local sports team and transit agency. LAFC was able to get its fans to the its games efficiently and effectively. Metro encouraged more people to ride to the games, most of which began outside of peak hours. In a car-centric region such as Southern California, the challenge for Metro is to persuade more people to try the system, especially for non-commuting purposes. We now have a new group of riders who like and want to use transit to reach LAFC games. It's a win-win for everyone involved.