RideScout is a transportation technology company that aggregates public, private, and social rideshare options in one convenient application, allowing people to search and compare transportation options in real time based on type, cost, and trip duration. While they are based in Austin, RideScout provides transportation options in over 70 major North American cities. 

RideScout came to Screamer Co. in early February looking for a partner to help launch a brand activation during SXSW 2015. With a little less than six weeks before the start of SXSW, and long after permit availability and consideration had closed, we were faced with creating an instillation that adhered to the festival’s strict promotional policies while still accomplishing RideScout’s goals of increasing brand awareness and encouraging social engagement. 

At Screamer Co., we started by fully submerging ourselves into the application that is RideScout. We wanted to develop an intimate understanding of the interface of the application and how users interact with it. Once we understood how the app worked, we sought an interactive solution that would allow people to engage with the brand and encourage them to share their experience on social media.  We wanted something that expressed the hometown-like familiarity with local transportation options that Ridescout provides, giving its users the ability to “Ride Like a Local,” or someone who has a well-established knowledge of a city and its public transportation options. What we came up with was an anamorphic art instillation of a jackalope that made it appear as though that those interacting with it were riding it. We incentivized people to interact with and share the instillation by offering free funnel cakes, t-shits, and a chance to win a SXSW badge for 2016 to anyone who posted a picture of them riding the jackalope with the hashtag #ridelikealocalsxsw.