Caltrain's Anti-Dodgers Video Wins National Award

The Bay Area transit agency's humorous video encouraging Giants fans to take the train to games has been recognized by the American Public Transportation Association.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 9:41pm by Ben Kaplan

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Caltrain, the Bay Area's commuter rail service, has won a national award from the American Public Transportation Association for a viral video it released last summer that poked fun at the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The video, which showed two Giants fans' Dodgers gear magically appearing as they tried to drive to a game, racked up over 250,000 views in its first 24 hours and was praised by Dodgers fans themselves for its clever marketing.

Why it matters

The award-winning video highlights Caltrain's efforts to promote public transit usage, especially for sports fans traveling to games. It also speaks to the longstanding rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, which has driven creative marketing campaigns from both teams' supporters.

The details

In the video, two Giants fans are shown getting ready to drive to a game against the Dodgers, but their orange-and-black attire is magically swapped to Dodgers blue, leading them to scream in horror. A narrator then says "Driving is for Dodgers fans," and the video ends with Giants mascot Lou Seal boarding a Caltrain. Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman said the video was shot near the agency's San Carlos offices and quickly went viral, becoming the "fastest-growing video ever" for Caltrain on social media.

  • The video was released by Caltrain a few days before the Giants hosted the Dodgers for a pivotal mid-July series in 2025.
  • Caltrain's video won the 'Best Marketing and Communications to Increase Ridership or Sales' category in the American Public Transportation Association's 2026 AdWheel Awards.

The players

Caltrain

The Bay Area's commuter rail service that runs along the Peninsula and has a stop just two blocks from Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

Dan Lieberman

A spokesperson for Caltrain who said the video was a "fun way to encourage people to take advantage of our service and have some fun with the rivalry" between the Giants and Dodgers.

Lou Seal

The mascot of the San Francisco Giants who is featured boarding a Caltrain train at the end of the award-winning video.

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What they’re saying

“It just seemed like a fun way to encourage people to take advantage of our service and have some fun with the rivalry.”

— Dan Lieberman, Caltrain spokesperson (SFGATE)

“I think it just speaks to the fact that, no matter what team you're rooting for, it's a lot easier to be able to take transit to get to the game. Driving is just a rough way to get to it. Being able to just hop on the train, enjoy a beer on the ride up, check out the show, and then hop on it, let us take care of the ride home. It's just a common-sense way to get to the game, and I think that's something everyone can agree on.”

— Dan Lieberman, Caltrain spokesperson (SFGATE)

What’s next

Caltrain plans to continue promoting its services to sports fans, especially ahead of high-profile matchups between the Giants and Dodgers.

The takeaway

Caltrain's award-winning video demonstrates how public transit agencies can use creative, humorous marketing to encourage ridership, especially for major sporting events that draw passionate fans from rival teams. The video's success also highlights the enduring rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers, which provides fertile ground for transit agencies to engage with their local communities.