As one of the nation’s most vibrant and progressive small cities, the City of Boulder has a history of being a forward-thinking community on environmental, growth and mobility issues. When rapid growth began to increase pollution and congestion in the early 90s, and with transit ridership stagnant, the City of Boulder formed an alternative transportation think-tank called GO Boulder to solve these complex issues and shift the old paradigms of transit. After initiating a series of progressive strategies, GO Boulder, in collaboration with the Boulder community, launched a new system that would prove to not only increase ridership but ultimately reshape the perception of public transportation in the city. We were part of this innovative team and together with the residents of Boulder, we developed one of the first branded transit systems in the nation, the HOP, SKIP, JUMP, LEAP and BOUND.

PROJECT SCOPE
Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Identity, Fleet Design, Media Buying, Advertising Campaign, Launch Strategy, Promotional Collateral, Online Advertising, Print Advertising, Custom Photography, Report on Progress

What was once a system that had a negative perception, soon became a national model of success. The HOP, the first in the branded series, achieved broad community support and proved the new high frequency system could shift mobility choices and reduce SOV trips. Within four weeks of service the SKIP ridership nearly tripled with annual ridership projected to be over 1.2 million. The JUMP, LEAP and BOUND soon followed and the system became the backbone of this small urban city. The GO Boulder team, in collaboration with Communication Arts and the residents of Boulder, had discovered a formula that created remarkable ridership increases almost overnight.

Never before had transit been packaged like a consumer product. With a focus on transforming the rider experience, every detail was re-envisioned. From the routes, to the customer service, to the vehicle design, to the service image, all touchpoints were customized for a fast, friendly and fun experience. A new brand of transit emerged with a new model of delivering public transportation.

Studio Six Principal Traci Jones branded the JUMP, LEAP and BOUND and refreshed the HOP service 20 years after the original design hit the streets. She led a series of collaborative community stakeholder sessions to articulate each service brand and helped gain community consensus which was essential to each successful service launch. The new brands were colorful, bold and graphic — the community took notice!