Won’t somebody please think of the money?On Monday, Lyft launched its new campaign, “Save the Money,” produced with creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo. The spot follows a lonely dollar bill wandering rainy streets before riders rescue it by "donating a few seconds” to check the Lyft app before their next rideshare.Director Jeff Low helmed the ad, and puppeteers Oliver John Taylor and Andy Gent animated the dollar, known affectionately as Bill, using practical effects. Both Taylor and Gent have worked on major Hollywood productions and stop-motion animation films. Taylor’s credits include Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and the 2024 Netflix series Eric, while Gent worked on Coraline and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.The insight behind the spot came from an independent 2025 study from Harvard and Johns Hopkins economists, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which found that only 16.1% of rideshare users compare price differences between Lyft and Uber before calling a ride. The research paper flags an average 14% gap between fares on the two apps for identical trips, equating to about $177 lost per 100 rides. “Treating abandoned rideshare savings with the gravity and importance of a public service announcement had an immediate tension to it,” said Chris Colliton, ECD at Zulu Alpha Kilo, in a statement. “The more seriously we took it, the funnier and more relatable it became. For something so ‘sad,’ we couldn’t stop smiling.” In addition to the main 60-second spot, 30- and 15-second cuts focus on the individual locations in the ad, such as the airport and commuting during rush hour. The campaign will also include out-of-home placements on billboards and creator content on social media.“We needed people to actually feel what it means to leave money behind, and that’s where Bill came from. When you see him out there in the rain, you sympathize with him — and that emotional connection is what drives behavior change,” said Cass Zawadowski, ECD at Lyft, in a statement.“This is Lyft deciding what kind of brand it wants to be,” she added.