Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Spare the Air Campaign
For most of the last 10 years, O’Rorke has provided creative solutions for the “Spare the Air” campaign, which encourages Bay Area residents to avoid driving and choose non-polluting activities on days when air pollution is expected to exceed federal standards. We have provided strategy development, qualitative research, creative production, media planning and buying; coordination of promotions and event presence with District staff; and pitching media placements on “Spare the Air” days.
Over the past three years, working with 31 transit operators, we promoted “free transit ” on “Spare the Air” days, by utilizing wrapped vehicles, and television and radio spots, for which we secured permission from U2 in 2006 and 2007 to use their Grammy-award winning “Beautiful Day”.
Research has consistently shown results from our work. In 2007, transit ridership rose by 23 percent on the two declared “Spare the Air” days of the season. During the 2006 season, ridership rose 15 percent on “Spare the Air” days.
