RESIDENTS of Thurrock have been treated to a bus service with a difference over the past seven months thanks to intu Lakeside’s #TheOrangeBus. The bright orange double decker bus which bears the unique hash tag has caused quite a stir and encouraged lots of social media interaction – but its link to the shopping centre was kept a secret until now.
Originally designed as a one-month venture to coincide with the introduction of the shopping centre’s new intu brand (which features the same shade of bright orange), the bus proved to be so popular with people in the local area that intu Lakeside made the decision to keep it on the road for much longer. Its ownership was also kept a mystery until now so it could continue to serve as a fun conversation starter rather than becoming part of the centre’s wider advertising strategy.
Izzie Peskett, Marketing Manager for intu Lakeside, says; “The aim of #TheOrangeBus was always simply to raise a smile and inject some fun into the region that we serve as a reflection of our new brand and our company values. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response that the bus has received, both in real life and via social media, and we’re delighted that it has brought some happiness to our community – especially because no-one knew we were behind it until now.”
Lucky passengers who boarded the bus today were treated to a very warm welcome from the intu Lakeside team, children were given bright orange #TheOrangeBus balloons and adults were offered chances to win shopping centre gift cards, too.
To find out more about what #TheOrangeBus has been up to over the last seven months, please visit www.twitter.com/TheOrangeBus or search for ‘The Orange Bus’ on Facebook.
