2026 isn’t just another year. It’s Philly’s biggest year yet.
The global spotlight of 2026 approaching and an influx of new and occasional riders are two big reasons we needed to refresh the SEPTA etiquette message with something that feels fresh, approachable, and quintessentially Philly.
Other transit agencies have etiquette campaigns that range from cute to quirky to cringy to pretty cool. SEPTA needed one that looks and sounds like us. We wanted it to feel like a reminder from a friend not a lecture from an institution.
The core insight was in the unique “tough love” dynamic of Philadelphia culture: Philadelphians don’t respond to authority but they do respond to authenticity. Traditional transit etiquette campaigns miss the mark by sounding like a detached bureaucracy. We recognized that the most effective way to change behavior among locals was to lean into the city’s specific brand of humor and directness.
So we transformed data-driven complaints into relatable headlines aimed to break through the clutter and capture the attention of a younger, trend-conscious demographic. We turned a civic necessity into a viral-ready cultural nudge. We replaced the typical lecture with a shared cultural wink.
The design keeps the focus solidly on the message while a bold, SEPTA-inspired palette keeps each message distinct and unique. The campaign’s bold aesthetic and sharp humor reinforce SEPTA’s presence as a modern, approachable pillar of the Philadelphia experience.
Bringing cheesesteaks and the Mets into the conversation did hit a Philly nerve but the positively pro-SEPTA response that this humble little etiquette campaign elicited was unexpected and proof that authenticity mixed with a little attitude is the key to getting the city’s (and the Inquirer’s) attention.
The campaign is posted across the system and extends beyond the confines of the subway and into the daily lives of Philadelphians by leveraging high-visibility street-level media and social media serving as a ubiquitous reminder that etiquette is a city-wide social contract not just a transit rule.
Let us know what you think!
National Etiquette Week runs May 11–15, 2026 but good passenger etiquette happens every day on SEPTA!