Maryland Transit Social Media Video - CharmPass Mobile Transit Fare App

Target Audience: Target audience for the video "CharmPass, your transit fare faster... than zombies!" was males 25-45 who already take transit. Spillover audience included males and females 19-54 who commute by transit. Within one week of its launch, the commercial enjoyed over 35,000 page views.

Strategy Objective:MTA's entry into phone fare payment was intended to accomplish several customer-focused goals, including decreased dwell time for buses, enhanced security and faster transportation for bus riders in particular. To accomplish this, MDOT MTA developed a video that broke through the clutter and brought an element of fun to riding transit, with a secondary goal of having viewers share the video.

Situation Challenge: The CharmPass mobile transit fare app was designed to enhance our riders' experience by maximizing the convenience, speed and security of fare payment. The challenge we addressed in creating this entry was in figuring out how to create excitement about what is, despite its many advantages, just another way to pay one's transit fare. The "CharmPass/Zombie TV spot focuses on the speed of the transaction in a way that gets our customers laughing and sharing the fun on social media.

Results Impact: Audiences responded enthusiastically to the CharmPass Zombie video, with more than 35,000 views of the commercial within a week, a nearly 25 percent average increase in app downloads from previous weeks since its launch, and a near-tripling of revenue generated through CharmPass compared to previous weeks. The success of the spot enabled CharmPass to surpass other benchmark goals substantially, and to reach those previously established goals more than a month ahead of schedule.

Why Submit: The near-universal popularity of the CharmPass/Zombie spot is a reflection of its success in marrying a great story idea with cast members ' all of whom work for MDOT MTA ' who went all-out in bringing the story to life. With light-hearted music, solid direction and tight editing, the spot has managed to significantly surpass its marketing goals while also earning a warm spot in the hearts of transit advocates throughout the region and beyond.