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Gautrain

Launch campaign

The launch of the much-anticipated high-speed wonder, the Gautrain, presented an opportunity for the creation a digital presence, becoming of a project of this stature. Aqua built this elegant portal and created the rich media banners that would go on to be highly awarded and get 120 000 unique views in the first month. The integration of Google Maps was executed expertly and is now used by Google HQ in the US to demonstrate the potential of this feature. Aqua created all the digital marketing material for the launch of Gautrain.

Objective

  • To create banners that provided an experience that was consistent in look-and-feel, content and experience with that of the website
  • To allow easy access to key information on the Gautrain, satisfying the three key requirements for a commuter: routes, fares and timetables
  • To create a strong brand experience, through rich visual imagery of the train itself and strict compliance to the brand Corporate Identity

Approach

To activate the campaign, we came up with cutting edge rich media banners, in actual fact, a mini-micro site, which were strategically placed on third-party sites and the Google content network. Banners detailed routes, timetables, fares and general information about the system (reliability, safety, affordability and environmental impact). The banners were to provide an engaging first contact with the new transport system and drive users to the actual portal. As such, there was no need for the consumer to leave the site they were on in order to gain an understanding of the Gautrain transit system.

Results

The consumer engagement with these banners far surpassed industry benchmarks and drove significant traffic to the site. These impressive results have inspired the media owners to further explore the success of the banners.

Third-party placements were selected strategically, as our intention was to utilise budget effectively, by flighting rich media banners that allowed users to engage in the environment they were already in, as opposed to having to leave to engage.