Public Transport Victoria has launched the ‘World of Melbourne by Bus’ campaign.

The ‘World of Melbourne by Bus’ campaign by Public Transport Victoria (PTV) and GPY&R Melbourne encourages locals to use the city’s bus network.

Via a range of travel poster style creatives, the campaign features various destinations and suburbs that Melbourne buses service.

The illustrations mimic old-fashioned posters and postcards and were created by Stuart McLachlan, Nigel Buchanan, Timba Smits, Marc Martin, Christopher Nielsen, Eamon Donnelly and James Fosdike.

In Melbourne, buses trail behind trains and trams in terms of perception and usage. “Buses are the unsung heroes of Melbourne’s transport network,” says Philip Askew, PTV general manager.

“This campaign aims to challenge this by focusing on local areas, showcasing key destinations in a unique, visually-arresting style while heroing the bus as the primary mode of transport,” he says.

“Melbourne is a city of diverse destinations with a different cultural spirit around every corner,” says Kieran Moroney, senior art director at GPY&R.

“So to encourage local travel by bus, we engaged seven Australian illustrators who created a feeling of discovery through the style of a travel poster and the mediums of acrylic, watercolour and digital painting.”

The campaign launches with 16 posters and will continue with phases of localised targeting, and a Melbourne by Bus dedicated website.

The Melbourne by Bus website features a map of city bus routes, with pins marking spots of interest such as Bay St in Port Melbourne, South Melbourne Market, Footscray Market, Luna Park and Flemington Racecourse.

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