How Made Brave Made First Bus the Top Dog in Scotland

If you're in the business of promoting niche brands and services, you know that it can be tough to get your voice heard above the noise. First Bus Group, a national travel provider, offer local and regional travel across the UK. But today we're discussing Scotland, where First Bus have Scottish creative agency MadeBrave to amplify their brand across the region.

Made Brave has been working with First Bus for years, and during that time they've run some brilliant campaigns. Recently I came across and interview where, Andrew Dobbie, the founder of MadeBrave, discussed their campaign from 2018 in which they launched the new eco fleet with a world’s largest model bus display in George Square.

What I love about this campaign is that the relationship between Made Brave and First Bus seems to have grown and developed over the years. Showing that trust, bravery and creativity achieves great relationships with clients.

Most recently they launched their 'Car User Support Group' campaign, which is sure to improve brand sentiment and loyalty and increase the opportunity for locals to think Bus first.

We found that the reason cars continually beat buses is because people associate them with freedom. Our strategy with this campaign was to challenge that perception – and to show that, in fact, taking the bus can be a far superior option with added benefits and more freedom,” Steve Hadden, Executive Creative Director.

This was also the first time First Bus used 'comedy' as a way to communicate with their users. Using comedy is a relatable and clever way to show that First Bus is not only more convenient than driving your own car, but it's also more environmentally friendly.

So thats that. No need to obsess over the big brands campaigns. If you're looking for proof that niche brands and services need a shoutout, you can see your local bus service for inspiration on how to do it right.