Taylor Swift Eras Tour Special Service

Target Audience: The target audience for Metro's Taylor Swift Special Service were fans attending her six-night Eras Tour at SoFi Stadium. The concerts scheduled for Aug. 3 through Aug. 9 were sold out and had an estimated attendance of 60,000 people for each nightly performance.

Strategy Objective:To ‘Taylor' our service to surprise and delight. To help fans to avoid ‘cruel summer' traffic and be ‘the 1' to get there on time we temporarily renamed two train stations the Taylor Nation Station and Speak Now/Taylor's Station. Wayfinding signage throughout the system directed fans there where bus shuttle service provided last-mile connections to the event. We added late-night train service to ensure everyone could get home, and 100 extra staff each night to greet Swifties, trade friendship bracelets and offer an exceptional experience. We communicated our service early and reminded fans often, using her song lyrics in messaging, that Metro was the best travel option to the shows. Messages were distributed via press releases, social media, website and agency blog posts.

Situation Challenge: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour had seen record numbers of transit users as concerts took place across the country. As Los Angeles was the final U.S. tour stop and had the largest number of concert dates, Metro saw a tremendous opportunity to help fans get to Swift's concerts safely, economically and on time. Additionally, we knew that many Swifties (and their parents) might be unfamiliar with Metro, so we wanted to raise awareness of taking Metro as a preferred option to being stuck in the infamous LA traffic.

Results Impact: Metro's Taylor Swift Special Service saw ridership increase of 25 percent on the entire transit system. - The SoFi Stadium shuttles had over 30,000 boardings - Metro rail and bus had over 180,000 boardings over the six nights - Metro's new K Line saw a 250 percent ridership increase, or nearly 5,000 extra boardings each night. The agency received overwhelming media coverage throughout the concert series – earned media coverage included 864 million impressions on print, online & broadcast; 362 news stories; and $8.06 million advertising value – with 99% positive or neutral sentiment. The customized Taylor Swift stations provided endless selfie opportunities on social media, along with the agency's Taylor Swift/Ambassador mashup video earning 2.5 million impressions.

Why Submit: Metro stretched itself as an agency striving for an exceptional customer experience for this unique opportunity. Service teams in all departments worked late into the night for six nights, to ensure all riders made their connections. Exceptionally designed signage spoke to the fans directly, providing a seamless travel experience, and once in lifetime moments. Media pick-up of our service communication in both traditional and social media led fans to Metro's service in increasing numbers each night. The agency adapted and responded in the field to dynamic conditions each night. It truly was an agencywide effort, that most importantly gave the agency the opportunity to provide immense joy, a positive transit experience, and demonstrate travel experience can equal fan experience.