NYC FERRY
Branding an iconic new mode of travel
NYC Ferry launched as a public-private partnership between the City of New York and Hornblower Cruises and Events, and it needed a brand as timely and iconic as the MTA or LIRR. Ruckus developed a complete identity package and public presence for the service, one that could carry the diverse set of values that make up New York City, an engagement running from August 2016 onward across research and strategy, brand identity, website development, and branded campaigns.
A transit brand from a standing start
To launch the service, NYC Ferry needed a map, website, app, advertising creative and strategy, media buying, landing site graphics, vehicle wraps, digital screens, animations, and more, built from a standing start into one coherent system, all of it distinct from the subway map New Yorkers already carry in their heads.
Research, identity, and a map of its own
Ruckus began by researching and identifying the archetypal travelers NYC Ferry would be interacting with, then built the Brand Bible, a summation of what the brand represents from a visual and descriptive perspective. The routes emerged from a strong and clear color selection, a route color theory crafted to display the brand while steering clear of the New York subway's color scheme.
The custom transit map system covers 6 ferry routes and 26 landings, and the identity was carried onto the water and the streets alike: 20 branded vessels, 5 branded shuttle buses, and a print program of 12 route rack cards and 16 ferry brochures reaching riders the tried and true way.
A site built from user stories up
On the web, user stories set the project narrative, a checklist of development milestones and more than 100 needed functionalities to ensure a tight turnaround. Low-fidelity wireframes laid out the basic structure of the platform, high-fidelity clickable prototypes brought the vision to life, and a playful app tutorial was built to complement the site's functionality. The platform has since drawn 10 million site visitors.
The numbers moved with the brand
Out-of-home advertising at 35 specifically placed bus stops and phone kiosks across the city delivered 8 million media impressions, and a commuter-focused public relations campaign added 5 million more, with launch coverage in 15 major publications and a network of more than 50 digital content providers.
NYC Ferry now carries 5 million rides a year across five boroughs. Site traffic rose 581 percent, the service's channels grew to 13,000 followers, and the brand now rides on every branded vessel, shuttle bus, and rack card in the system.
