Ogilvy Canada has a new partnership with Metrolinx as the agency of record for GO Transit and UP Express.
As part of the remit, Ogilvy Canada will be responsible for annual campaigns across both the regional transit brand, GO Transit, and the dedicated Pearson Airport Express rail line, UP Express, alongside agency partners Carat and Ethnicity Matters.
Metrolinx notes that it needs marketing to shape attitudes and behaviours throughout the customer journey, and that this includes embracing a digital-first mindset and helping to anticipate the needs and plans of customers, regardless of their trip purpose.
According to Metrolinx VP, brand, digital and product marketing Sharyn Byrne Nearing, the agency needs to re-engage commuters in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area, especially as they continue contending with new routines and trip purposes in the post-COVID-19 era.
“This is a consequential time for transportation in Ontario, and it’s a privilege to partner with an organization that sees the potential for brand building in this space,” says Ogilvy Canada president, Marie-Lise Campeau. “GO Transit and UP Express are used by millions of people each year, and we could not be more excited to help shape that experience in ways that mean something and matter to their daily lives.”
The beleaguered Crown transit agency has come under a lot of public scrutiny, with still no confirmed opening date for Toronto’s long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT project. A former marketer and artist, also recently caught the attention of the organization with a line of merch that altered Metrolinx’s familiar logo to read, “Metrostinx.”
[Correction: This story has been updated as a previous version stated that Leo Burnett was the previous AOR holder for Go Transit and UP Express. Leo Burnett currently holds the Metrolinx and Presto payment system AOR mandate]
