Turning Anaheim’s transit services into living, breathing characters (and now those characters can be found all over the city)
01 — Project details
The city of Anaheim, CA needed help promoting three of its new transportation services.
The challenge? Each service had a different audience, route, and overall vibe, but the current messaging was flat, generic, and forgettable. They wanted copy that was compliant and informative, but also charming enough to catch the eye of tourists, families, and local residents alike. It also had to stand out in a truly unique way. It had to be novel. Different. I certainly had my work cut out for me.
02 — The Problem
Meet ART, FRAN, and EVE
Instead of treating these transit services like faceless buses, I helped turn them into characters. Literally.
The transit services in question: ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation), FRAN (Free Rides Around the Neighborhood), and a new airport connection called EVE (Everyone Ventures Everywhere).
ART became your friendly local tour guide, showing you around theme parks, roller coasters, and boysenberry pie.
FRAN was the cheerful neighborhood host — think a free, friendly ride through the Packing District or to the Farmers Market.
And EVE? She got her own launch campaign as a sleek, modern way to travel between Anaheim and John Wayne Airport.
Each transit service had its own unique voice and personality as I wrote the copy for the city's website, online ad campaigns, and the copy found on the vehicles themselves.
03 — Results
The city loved it and now you can find my copy plastered all over Anaheim!
I can't tell you the pride I feel whenever I visit sunny Anaheim, CA and I see my copy whizzing by to and fro. This project was a big morale boost for me, both in my confidence and creativity as a copywriter.
Overall, each personality I helped to shape and breathe life into felt approachable and playful without losing clarity, and the voice work helped humanize public transportation in a way that’s rare for municipal services.
For me, as well as the team I worked with, it wasn’t just about moving people from Point A to B. It was about creating small moments of delight along the way.