Lyft undergoes rebranding

Published February 6, 2015 at 8:39 am

As an online-based company that sees much of its business done via mobile, Lyft is an obvious candidate for a digital campaign. However, according to AdAge, the ridesharing business is going even further in 2015 by changing the way it is perceived through various media and reaching out to newer users.

One of the biggest tactics is a video ad featured on YouTube that shows the company is making changes to its most famous symbol: the big pink mustaches. Cars that take part in a Lyft program tend to have one of these attached, but Lyft is now equipping them with small pink lights shaped like mustaches that fit on the inside of a driver windshield. It’s part of the “New Year, New Lyft” initiative that promises to “reconnect communities” in addition to helping users get to their destinations on time.

The video ad deliberately attempts to capture a fast-paced, upbeat feel, with energetic music and quick editing. It also introduces the pink light without dwelling on it too much.

Lyft has also taken to more unusual means to promote itself. Hoodline reported on a special marketing tactic involving chalk outlines on sidewalks around San Francisco. Cleverly designed to look like an overhead view of a car, these outlines are rendered in pink and white, with a large and recognizable version of the company’s blocky logo clearly visible at the head of the drawing. Posters have also appeared in that city with the Lyft logo in white against a pink background, with the small image of a car driving across it.

Brand coherence is critical when managing several materials in tandem for both the internet and real life. A successful marketing campaign management system helps companies manage all the details of rebranding without losing core brand values.