Lyft Ads Debuts Interactive, Haptic Ad Format to Counter ‘Quitter’s Day’

​Lyft Ads launched a short-run campaign aimed at pushing back against so-called ‘Quitter’s Day’ - the second Friday of January, often cited as the point when many New Year’s resolutions start to fall away.

Running from January 9th to 11th, the initiative introduced a new in-app interactive ad format designed to motivate riders during their journeys, marking the first time Lyft Ads has incorporated interactivity and haptic feedback into its advertising offering.

The campaign, created by Lyft’s in-house team, invited riders to physically engage with the app by gently shaking their phone when prompted, triggering messages of encouragement from Lyft as they travel. According to Lyft, the format was intended to create a more memorable, participatory experience that aligned with the moment people are most at risk of abandoning their goals, while also showcasing new creative possibilities within the Lyft Ads platform.

“We knew from the beginning that we wanted to introduce our interactive ads and haptics at a time when our riders would be looking for a call to action, which we could transform into a surprise and delight moment,” says Shane Dwyer, head of sales at Lyft Ads. “What better day than ‘Quitter’s Day’ when everybody is looking for a little motivation to keep going? The idea that our users needed to interact with an ad and are rewarded with some encouragement to keep their commitments in 2026 just made sense.”

The shift into interactivity and haptics reflects Lyft Ads’ interest in how these features can boost rider engagement, app usage, and loyalty, while creating a more motivational in-app experience. In future, the company plans to add third-party brand measurement to select campaigns using interactive and haptic formats.

“The act of gently shaking, for that dynamic cause and effect animation, merits a level of attention and care from a rider in a way that both captivates and allows users to be active participants in their ad experience, not passive,” says Shane. “It creates an even more memorable experience for consumers all-around.

“At Lyft Ads,” he adds, “we’re intentional in what we put in front of our riders and why. It’s what helps us translate in-app advertising to real world action, something we call The Lyft Effect.” Shane believes the Quitter’s Day campaign reflects Lyft’s broader commitment to innovation in service of connection. “What starts as an in-app experience becomes an in-person reason they go to their book club, or hit the gym, or discover that new neighbourhood, and Lyft can get them where they need to be.”

More broadly, the Lyft Ads team is pursuing more innovative formats in a bid to enhance both rider and brand partner experiences. The Quitter’s Day campaign was designed in-house by the Lyft Ads product and engineering team, and the creative was created by the Lyft Ads Studio – dedicated teams tasked with exploring fresh ways to reach riders. These teams will also work directly with brand partners on production, as Lyft Ads continues to experiment with and roll out new approaches to in-app advertising.

“We want our Lyft users not only to ‘view’ their ads, but really feel like they’re undergoing a bespoke experience when they engage with them,” says Shane.