The Ordinary is launching a public service-inspired marketing stunt which claims to provide a “solution” to a New York City, US, transportation pain point.
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC)-owned, no-frills skin care company is running a free, limited-run express shuttle, called ‘The Ordinary Bus’, from 26 May to 9 June, running from Williamsburg’s Domino Park to Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
It aims to replace a 50-minute-plus subway route, which includes a detour into Manhattan, with a free express shuttle service that cuts this travel time in half in a bid to make “essential resources more accessible”.
The stunt, which shines a spotlight on crosstown transit in a city which is “notoriously fragmented”, is part of The Ordinary’s ongoing commitment to deliver accessibility beyond skin care, investing in experiences that give its community something “real”.
It comes a year after The Ordinary sold cheap eggs to consumers when prices had hit an inflation high during another key anti-marketing stunt.
“Access is at the heart of everything The Ordinary does, and this bus launch is no exception,” Amy Bi, VP of Brand at The Ordinary, told Cosmetics Business.
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“Heading into summer, it felt like the perfect time to give communities a free way to get from park to park.
“The bus lets us connect with communities in a way that feels unexpected, but still very true to The Ordinary: practical, inclusive and rooted in genuine connection.
“Public transit is something almost everyone in the city shares; it connects people across neighbourhoods, industries and backgrounds, and that really reflects who we are as a brand.
“We wanted to create something that felt visible, approachable and sparked conversation.”
The Ordinary Bus will run from 12pm to 7pm Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 7pm from Saturday to Sunday, across the two-week period.
The beauty brand hopes to transport around 1,000 people during this time, with free full-sized The Ordinary product samples given away to the first 100 shuttle riders each day.
But beyond the numbers, the goal is to build
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