Taxis are becoming a great media for unexpected advertising. In London, LivingSocial takes over an everyday cab and turns it into a surprising, delightful experience.
The objective is simple. Create buzz around the LivingSocial website and showcase the variety of discounts in a way that feels like a story, not a sales pitch.
A taxi ride with a fork in the road
When unsuspecting passengers hail this special taxi and get inside, they are offered a choice. Carry on to their original destination, or “roll the dice” and go for an experience instead.
The decision is the hook. The passenger stays in control, but the brand turns that control into a game, and the game turns a normal ride into a memorable narrative.
In urban commuter cities, a taxi ride is one of the few time-boxed moments where a brand can own the environment end-to-end.
Why the gamble is more persuasive than the pitch
This works because it reframes discount discovery as adventure. The “roll the dice” option creates a moment of suspense, and suspense buys attention better than any list of offers ever will.
Extractable takeaway: If you sell a broad catalogue of offers, do not lead with the catalogue. Lead with a simple, voluntary choice that creates emotional momentum, then let the catalogue appear as the natural payoff for choosing to play.
While the ride plays out, the experience is described as feeding contestants a long stream of sales information. The trick is that the information arrives while the passenger is already invested in what happens next, so it feels like part of the ride rather than an interruption.
The real business intent behind the stunt
At the surface, this is “surprise and delight.” The real question is whether you can turn an everyday ride into a voluntary choice people want to retell. Underneath, it is a conversion engine. It demonstrates the breadth of deals, pushes people into trying something they would not normally consider, and gives them a story they want to retell.
Steal this pattern for city-scale activations
- Offer two paths. A safe default and a bold option. The contrast makes the bold option irresistible.
- Make the choice voluntary. Consent turns skepticism into curiosity.
- Let the content ride shotgun. Teach benefits during the experience, not before it.
- Design for retellability. Make the twist easy to repeat in one sentence, like “a taxi that lets you roll the dice for a surprise destination.”
A few fast answers before you act
What is the LivingSocial Taxi Experiment?
It is a branded taxi experience where passengers can either continue to their original destination or roll the dice and be taken to a surprise experience that showcases LivingSocial deals.
Why does the “roll the dice” mechanic work?
It creates suspense and a sense of ownership. The passenger chooses the gamble, which makes the experience feel like their story, not the brand’s stunt.
What is the key mechanism that makes this shareable?
A clear, explainable twist on a familiar behavior. Taking a taxi becomes a game with a surprising payoff, which people naturally want to describe to friends.
How do you adapt this pattern without a taxi fleet?
Find a time-boxed environment you can fully control, introduce a simple forked choice, and make the “bold” path deliver a visible, memorable payoff that naturally carries your product story.
What is the simplest way to judge if it worked?
If people can retell the twist in one sentence and explain why they chose the bold path, you built something that travels beyond the ride.
