As the whole world was shut down in spring 2021, also the vibrant life of Berlin came to a complete standstill. And with it the BVG, Berlin’s public transport service. Because with the lockdown, the number of passengers dropped dramatically. But how could they rebuild trust in public transport in a time of complete isolation? How could the BVG show the people, that they are there for them? Even and especially in such difficult times?

By telling them with honesty, that they were also struggling with being alone.

In a remake of the number one hit “Allein Allein” by the German pop band Polarkreis 18, BVG-employees sang an ode to loneliness.

In it’s lyrics they humorously described how sad their lives had become without delays, sticky floors, and people blocking doors. Because the BVG just wasn't the same without its passengers.

When passenger numbers dramatically dropped throughout the winter 2020/21 the BVG had to react. In a time when almost every other brand approached this situation with over-emotional together-we-can-do-this-statements, the BVG took a different turn. They honestly and with a good sense of humor admitted, that they were feeling just as lonely as everybody else right now. And that they would already be looking forward to a time, when Berlin and the BVG would be as vibrant and noisy as we all love, and just sometimes hate them.

The music video was released as a viral in the midst of the second lockdown in May 2021. It was shared on all social media channels of the BVG such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In the midst of the second lockdown, the song hit a nerve. It spoke not only to Berliners, but somehow to the hearts of all Germans.

In the first 24 hours alone, the video got over a million views on YouTube.

On social media, comment sections went off the wall. People from all over Germany were moved.

And even the band - Polarkreis 18 - was thrilled. The original song “Allein Allein“, was over 10 years old, yet received nearly one million new streams on Spotify.

The press reported about this phenomenon nationwide and other public transport companies shared our feelings.

With the release of the film, passenger numbers increased again rapidly and ensured that no one had to feel lonely again.

In this way, we not only gave Berlin a bit of hope, but all of Germany a song that spoke directly to the heart of an entire nation.