TRANSPORT FOR LONDON: REAL ARTS

THE BRIEF:
Transport for London runs intermittent activity to publicise various locations and themes in London, and how to use public transport to visit them. The most recent initiative is a booklet called Real Arts, and lists some 40 arts and culture venues and activities around London. LIMExperience were tasked with distributing 108,000 copies of the booklets using face-to-face activity. Comment UK were asked to create a character performer who could work with the leafleters, giving information about Real Arts and Transport for London and encouraging passers-by to take and read the booklets.


THE SOLUTION:
We created an elegant, singing troubadour, dressed in a dinner suit, with a powerful, self-powered sound system. Surrounded by the brightly dressed leafleters, he sang a spoof "patter song", based on the Gilbert and Sullivan number "I am the very Model of a Modern Major General". Lyrics included:

"I am the very model of a modern London traveler,
I know some information of a high artistic calibre.
I go to Sadler's Wells to see some dancing of a different sort,
Upon the Northern Line my journey there is really very short.
I catch a London bus to Covent Garden almost straight away,
And in the Opera House I see musicians who can sing and play!
From there I travel South and West and find myself in Pimlico,
To visit Britain's Tate and see a lovely Turner painting show.
I go to Gasworks Gallery and travel over Vauxhall Bridge-
By then I know my Travelcard is quite a super Advantage!"

The performer also sang a few other numbers purely for entertainment and to create atmosphere.


THE RESULT:
The performer created a huge buzz around the leafleting activity, and enabled the leafleters to distribute far more booklets. Passers by reacted very positively to the song, and it caused them to open and read the booklet.