Pride in our Buses
Pride in Our Buses was East Yorkshire’s campaign to celebrate Pride in Hull, a project that became far more personal than professional. Originally framed as a recruitment initiative, I reshaped it into a genuine community campaign about visibility and allyship in an industry that still struggles with inclusion.
Client: East Yorkshire Buses
Overview
Pride in Our Buses was East Yorkshire’s campaign to celebrate Pride in Hull and show visible support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Centred around a striking pink double-decker bus and a day of celebration, the campaign highlighted connection, allyship, and the idea that public transport connects more than just places… it connects people.
While Stagecoach also ran their own Pride activity, this event became something bigger: a rare moment of unity between two competitors, standing side by side in support of their shared community.
My role
As part of East Yorkshire’s marketing team, and as an openly gay man myself, this project meant a lot to me.
It started in a driver recruitment meeting when someone said, “Maybe we should do something at Pride,” and a room full of straight, middle-aged men turned to look at me.
Luckily, I had enough pull to turn it from tokenism into authenticity. I reshaped it into a campaign about visibility, community, and allyship, something I could genuinely be proud of.
I:
Developed the concept and messaging for Pride in Our Buses, ensuring it was purpose-led rather than performative.
Advised on the bus livery design, and led event planning, and on-the-day activity.
Led social media, PR and internal comms, positioning the campaign as part of a wider inclusion effort.
Represented East Yorkshire at Pride in Hull, connecting with the community and capturing content on the day.
Objectives
Create a bold, visible Pride presence for East Yorkshire at Hull Pride.
Reframe a recruitment-driven brief into a meaningful community initiative.
Champion LGBTQ+ visibility and representation in the transport sector.
Inspire open, honest conversations about inclusion within the company.
Encourage other local operators to show public support for Pride.
Impact
Delivered one of East Yorkshire’s most talked-about community campaigns of the year.
The pink Pride bus became a recognisable local icon, generating strong social engagement and regional coverage.
Encouraged staff participation and community conversations about representation and allyship.
Marked a genuine moment of connection between East Yorkshire and Stagecoach, two rivals, standing together for a cause that mattered.
The campaign was reused and reimagined in later years, becoming part of the brand’s identity long after I left.
Reflection
This campaign meant a lot, both personally and professionally.
The bus industry still has a long way to go. In all honesty, it remains deeply homophobic and racist in places. The marketing materials often tell a story of inclusion, but my experience was very different.
There are some genuinely brilliant people working in transport, the kind you’d go for a drink with and trust to look after it when you popped to the loo. Then there are the ones you warn your friends about with, “they’re lovely, but don’t ask them about X, Y, or Z.” And then there are the outright bigots, the ones who’d refuse to drive that bus.
That environment taught me a lot. It forced me to ditch my naïvety about change - the idea that inclusion happens naturally if you just keep showing up.
It doesn’t.
It takes effort, persistence, and a refusal to care what the bigots think.
Pride in Our Buses wasn’t about rainbow logos or hashtags. It was about creating visibility in a space that rarely makes room for it.