With gas prices expected to reach $4 a gallon this summer, UNM students can look to public transportation to get around.
Students at the Anderson School of Management set up an advertising agency to encourage 18- to 25-year-olds to use greener transportation in a project called My Other Ride.
The project includes commercials, a Web site and booths at alternative transportation fairs.
"We chose My Other Ride because it perfectly speaks to our target demographic," said Emilee Peugh, the project's coordinator. "It's funny as well as informative and gave us a lot of freedom to take our campaign in a variety of directions."
The students created YouTube videos, a MySpace page and a 35-minute presentation to promote the project.
My Other Ride is part of a national contest to promote alternative transportation and is sponsored by EdVenture, an organization that links companies with business students.
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On May 6, the students will present their marketing project to the American Public Transportation Association, along with representatives from ABQ Ride and the Rail Runner.
"Everyone is super excited about (the presentation)," Peugh said. "We will go over our marketing plan. There will be graphs presented by the research team. We will show our TV, YouTube and our print ads, and we will also give them some future plans the clients can use."
If the students finish in the top three, they will travel to Washington, D.C., to present My Other Ride to national public transportation representatives.
EdVenture gave the class $1,000 and free rein over the project.
"What makes this program so exceptional is that it is run entirely by students, for students," marketing professor John Benavidez said.
The project's Web site, myotherride.org, includes a carbon-emission calculator and an application that lets students determine how much they can save if they use public transportation.
