As rising gas prices put pressure on our daily budgets, the City of Mississauga saw an opportunity to encourage more people to take public transit. Using the gas gauge as a creative anchor, we connected the cost of a fill-up with the everyday choices people face — and invited them to trade the pump for Mississauga's transit system, the MiWay.
Running on Empty
Drivers don't need to see a price sign to feel the pain of high gas costs. They see it every time they glance at their dashboard. The gas gauge is an instantly recognizable, emotionally loaded symbol that lives in the daily experience of our target audience.
We leverage this familiar image as a creative anchor, transforming it into an expression of forced trade-offs. When fuel costs rise, they don't just drain the tank; they drain the household budget. The gauge becomes a metaphor for diminishing choices: swimming lessons sacrificed, textbooks weighed against a full tank. These are real, relatable moments of financial tension that resonate across a broad audience of everyday drivers.
By establishing this emotional connection between what’s in the tank and what’s left in the wallet, we pay off with a clear and succinct message: Take the MiWay.
