With its oversized furry pink grill mustache now shaved down to a glow-in-the-dark dashboard accessory, Lyft is continuing its 2015 makeover with a campaign that emphasizes community first and foremost.
Tired of playing second string to Uber, the San Francisco-based ridesharing service seeks to separate itself from its rival by focusing on “humanity and technology” rather than just being an impersonal car service. With a peppy tune and flashes of phrases like “reconnecting communities” and “driving real people,” Lyft’s first national campaign from hometown agency Eleven embodies its new “driving you happy” mantra.
Speaking to AdAge, Eleven CEO Courtney Buechert explains that the reason for Lyft’s 2015 community-focused brand positioning is that “…this is a transformative time for people…we have the ability to connect more easily now, but we crave more experiences and enriching times.”
Lyft has quite the path to travel in overtaking Uber, which recently announced another $1.6 billion in funding. But the 60-second spot (with guerrilla and digital components), along with a classier ‘stache and new partnerships with the likes of Intuit and MasterCard, marks a refreshing re-start for the brand.