Every kid presses their face to the bus window, waiting to see what’s next. We built a campaign out of that feeling with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
TfGM runs the Bee Network, Manchester’s integrated bus and tram system for the city region. Having recently brought its buses and trams together under one network, the goal for TfGM was to showcase that The Bee Network makes travel around Manchester easy and affordable.
THG Studios partnered with TfGM to create ‘This is How We Move’, turning the everyday commute into a series of unexpected scenarios, designed to interrupt daily routines and turn heads whilst their travelling or scrolling, highlighting the many places you can get to on the Bee Network's buses and trams this summer.
- A dinosaur skeleton from a local museum comes alive in a child’s imagination, striding down the bus aisle alongside other passengers as kids travel free during the summer holidays
- A shopper's daydream plays out mid-journey as she tries on shoes from a pop-up shop on the tram route that runs from the park and ride straight into the city centre’s shopping districts
- Wildflowers bloom and butterflies flutter above commuters’ heads as a hidden park grows in the aisle of a bus travelling to a park just outside the city
Each scenario runs on a real route, so the story and the journey become one in the same. The campaign runs across July and August 2026, reaching audiences via paid social, digital displays and event-aligned media in an aim to interrupt people’s habitual decision to choose a car over public transport when planning a trip or making a spontaneous decision to travel. OOH, DOOH, app and radio placements will allow TfGM to show up at moments where the cost of driving is felt by commuters as they sit in traffic or struggle with finding parking. Finally, Tram and bus stop posters, on-board placements and PA announcements serve to build brand affinity.
“We all remember the magical feeling as a child travelling by bus or train, and the excitement anticipating the destination. We wanted to bring that feeling to life through unexpected passenger vignettes bringing destinations to life mid-aisle, whilst also reminding people that often it’s more fulfilling to jump on a tram than sit in a traffic jam”
Rob Sanderson, Group Creative Director, THG Studios
"We were delighted to work with THG Studios on our summer marketing campaign, combining creativity and production technologies to bring to life how the Bee Network is a key enabler to your day out this summer. The THG Studios team have been wonderful to work with throughout!"
Harry Reeve, Senior Marketing Manager, Transport for Greater Manchester
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