Lyft Activation Concepts

Client
Lyft, 2017

Creative Direction and Concepts
Mark Pearlman

The Crawl

BRINGING THE PUB CRAWL INTO THE 21st CENTURY

Based on the idea of a pub crawl, this concept connects potential riders with drivers by providing the transportation between the locales. But, a pint isn’t everyone’s cup of tea so the crawl theme can change according to demographics, geographies or season. In the summer, there might be an ice cream crawl. To attract older riders, there might be a museum crawl. No matter the theme, the connective tissue is the Lyft experience. As the campaign progresses, it could morph into a movable feast/progressive dinner.

The experience itself connects directly with customers and a #LyftCrawl hash-tag spreads the word on social media. To participate, riders register for a new account or sign in to participate in the crawl. As participation spikes a lottery system would determine who gets to go on the crawl. Once you have signed up, the micro-site asks you if you want to invite friends to grow the campaign and increase new account sign ups.

East Bay Ice Cream Crawl

Social Media posts, in-app advertising and email blasts drive traffic to the micro-site. After the sign up period closes, the chosen crawlers receive an invitation to the event and a link to book the first ride of the crawl.
As you start your first ride, the crawl on the Lyft Amp let’s you know about the next destination. During your ride, you’ll receive a text with the flavors available at the next stop and a reminder to use the #LyftCrawl hash-tag.
Lyft brand ambassadors at each stop on the crawl keep tabs on arrivals and then prep for departures. The ambassador can be sure that drivers are available so that riders don’t have to wait too long for their next scoop. Surge pricing could also be used in the area around the crawl to assure enough drivers are on hand.
As crawlers make their rounds, they can check in using the #LyftCrawl hash-tag and post photos of their trip. All of the posts will link back to the micro-site to drive more riders to Lyft.

In The Hot Seat
A WEB SERIES IN A CAR WITH RIDERS AS THE AUDIENCE

Carpool Karaoke, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Tiny Desk Concerts; there’s something about talk shows in small places that just works. In the Hot Seat is a weekly on-line talk show presented by Lyft. It puts the host in the driver’s seat and a guest in the passenger’s seat. During the ride the interview continues as normal, but the interviewer has something up their sleeve that will put the passenger in a tight spot. A box of costumes in the back seat, a drive thru stop at In-n-Out to test one’s secret menu powers, or a quick game of trivia. The interview could take place during a Lyft Line shared ride so that other people jump in and out of the car to become audience members. The chance to ride along with a celebrity would drive new rider sign ups.


The humor infused in these situations and the interview content will drive social media traction and increase brand exposure. Like NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, the cramped space of a car makes for an awkward concert venue so maybe the interviewer gets picked up in an SUV and at a stop sign a swing band jumps in the back rows.

Mystery Ride
STEP IN, ADVENTURE AWAITS

The Mystery Ride is part pop-up concerts, part flash mob, and part Color Factory. Or it could be all of them or none of them, and that’s the fun of it. Social Media posts, in-app advertising and email blasts to existing users promote a series of weekend mystery rides that could range anywhere from a free ride to tickets to a secret concert. As word gets around on social media, the chance to win something in the mystery ride would drive new rider sign up. All of the secret venues, swag and prizes would be Lyft themed so that when riders post about their adventure or winnings the Lyft logo will be visible.


The Mystery Ride can change according to demographics, geographies or season in order to better target certain markets. A Super Bowl or Final Four mystery ride could happen in multiple venues leading up to the big event and culminate in tickets to the big game or a live ad during the event showing the mystery ride winner arriving at the game.