People fight their way on to buses for one reason only—because they're overcrowded. But actually, no—in Denmark, people will push, punch, shove and claw their way on to Midttrafik buses for a completely different reason: because they're just so incredible awesome to ride.
That's the absurd, entertaining premise behind this absurd, entertaining and grand new spot from Midttrafik Kommunikation, Thomas Falkenberg, M2Film and director Marc Wilkins—far and away the most faux-epic public-transit commercial we've ever seen.
It opens under dark skies on a stretch of country road, as a man lies with his ear to the pavement, listening. Soon, he hears it—the distant rumblings of a Midttrafik bus. He turns, stonefaced, walks toward a small group waiting at the bus stop, then suddenly breaks into a huge grin, gives an exaggerated two thumbs-up—and suddenly we're in slow-motion fantasy-montage land, as passengers writhe in their seats and bystanders, human and not, ogle hilariously at the glory that is a Midttrafik bus carving its way through the world.
The overblown copy is wonderful, and there are so many great characters and visual set pieces—the long bus doing donuts in the parking lot, for one, is classic. And under the hyperbole, we even absorb the message: that Midttrafik has some nice new vehicles that will make your trip a hell of a lot more special. (Quirky bus advertising is actually a thing in northern Europe—witness this spot for Norway's Nettbuss from last year.) In an industry where the user experiences can often be depressing or worse, it's hard to imagine a more comically uplifting piece of work than this Midttrafik spot.
Your move, MTA.
CREDITS
Client: Midttrafik
Spot: "The Bus"
Agency: Midttrafik Kommunikation, Thomas Falkenberg
Production Company: M2Film
Director: Marc Wilkins
Producers: Ronni Madsen, Jan P.
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