Inspired branding elevates transit agency from basic to iconic

A complete rebrand positioned the historic Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District for a future aligned with its county’s famous beauty. While SBMTD has served Santa Barbara county for over 50 years, the brand needed a major update to better integrate itself into the colorful communities and the gorgeous landscapes it serves. Inspired by the rolling waves of the Santa Barbara coastline and the historic Pacific Coast highway, we created a logo that anchored the brand, then built a suite of marketing materials to elevate the MTD brand and awareness. This included an entire fleet of vehicles covered in beautiful waves, a new website, animated digital advertising and multimedia ad campaigns. The transformation has taken MTD to an iconic status in the transit world, often looked to as an aspirational standard for transit branding and advertising.