First Day of School Celebration and New CTA Train Station Ads for Butcher Boy Cooking Oils

On behalf of our client Columbus Vegetable Oils, we developed a partnership with the CTA to give Chicago Public Schools students free rides on the first day of school for the sixth year in a row. Under the program, all K through 12 CPS students and one accompanying adult could ride CTA buses and trains at no cost, helping families get their kids to class on day one without a transportation barrier.

To bring the partnership to life, our team visited Sherman School of Excellence on August 24, 2026, the first day of CPS classes, to welcome students back on behalf of Columbus Vegetable Oils, proud makers of Butcher Boy Cooking Oils. We distributed Butcher Boy goodie bags packed with notebooks and other school supplies, giving students a head start for the year ahead.

In addition to the CTA rides partnership, we designed and placed a new round of CTA train station ads for Butcher Boy Cooking Oils, now live across Chicagoland. These placements put the Butcher Boy brand in front of daily commuters citywide, extending brand visibility through one of Chicago’s most trusted transit networks.

Initiatives like CTA’s First Day, Free Rides program show how brands can invest meaningfully in the communities they serve. On behalf of Columbus Vegetable Oils, we built a partnership that combined citywide transit advertising with hands on, grassroots community support, connecting the Butcher Boy brand to Chicago families both on the billboard and on the ground.

Congratulations to all CPS students on a great start to the school year!