"Let's get back on track" - New advertising campaign

[mr_moo]

A new cross-industry publicity campaign launched today, encouraging people to get back on the railways again.

TV advert:

This is linked to the twitter hashtag #LetsGetBackOnTrack

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LetsGetBackOnTrack&src=typed_query

I was part of a group that saw the TV advert a few days ago as a preview, and internally it received very good feedback.
There were several comments about this needing to be only one part of the campaign to get rail travellers back - my own view is that there was a lot of negative publicity put out about railways during the pandemic and it was strongly reinforced to be a dangerous method of transport that was to be avoided, so we've now got some work to do to unpick this message. I think the messaging during the pandemic was way OTT personally, but that's for another thread.

In itself, I think this advert is brilliant and a really good start. I love the prominent but not overpowering of the double arrows, and this hopefully shows that the logo is still firmly planned to stay with GBR.

 

[Cantab26]

Hmm…

The logo is over-used in my view (in terms of its interpolation into the captions) - I wonder if having it in more of the background shots or on props might have been effective, but more subtle.

The music cuts off somewhat awkwardly at the end into train noise.

Think about the messaging in the lyrics: “Can you love me again?” Is this what the railway needs to be asking potential customers? Or would the visuals have worked better with something like Love never felt so good by Michael Jackson?

Gill Sans type-face with double arrows: interesting combination that is clean and works.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I can't help but feel considering many areas are still dealing with massive service reductions compared to pre COVID this is just too early. Sort the services out first and then advertise. I actually quite like the ad, but I know a lot of reactions will be people asking where their services are still!

 

[O L Leigh]

There have already been TV adverts in the Midlands on behalf of the various regional operators aimed at encouraging rail travel, even before the full lifting of restrictions.

 

[ashkeba]

Get the services back up to normal levels, fix the trains/aircon so they do not feel like sweaty disease incubators, discourage sneezers and coughers from travelling and then we can talk. Until then, even a railfan like me will be doing much more by bike, regional bus (because I am only exposed to 30-60 people not hundreds) and even car.

 

[dk1]

There have already been TV adverts in the Midlands on behalf of the various regional operators aimed at encouraging rail travel, even before the full lifting of restrictions.

Constant Greater Anglia adverts throughout the pandemic as well as sponsoring ITV Regional Weather.

 

[trebor79]

Constant Greater Anglia adverts throughout the pandemic as well as sponsoring ITV Regional Weather.

I saw a GA advert for the first time the other evening (don't watch much telly). I think they mis a trick by not showing the interior of the trains.

 

[dk1]

I saw a GA advert for the first time the other evening (don't watch much telly). I think they mis a trick by not showing the interior of the trains.

Yes & publicising how much extra room there is now onboard trains across the regional & Intercity fleet. The comments I get from those who haven’t travelled for one reason or another in the last couple of years has by & large been extremely positive.

 

[BahrainLad]

Why aren't they using Rail Alphabet 2?

 

[sussexbythesea]

I saw a GA advert for the first time the other evening (don't watch much telly). I think they mis a trick by not showing the interior of the trains.

I really like the way they use the GA Hare, very prominent on billboards and on adverts. But I agree that people still associate GA with clapped out 153s and 156s instead of the fanatasic 755/745s

 

[norbitonflyer]

The bridge at the end of the video is the one carrying the Chatham Main Line over Turney Road, between Herne Hill and West Dulwich, near where I used to live (40 years ago!) The Dulwich Estate insisted on something more ornate than usual to allow railways across their land.

The station that appears just before looks like North Dulwich.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Not sure how TOC's can try and get people back on trains while operating greatly reduced services and cancelling a large amount of services each day. Give us a decent service and we will return in numbers, advance tickets are also very scarce and reduced by a small amount. Bargains are few and far between.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Although not railway related my biggest reaction was to the appalling shots of people jumping into open water.

There have been a large number of drownings from this activity in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, canals and the sea this year; generally involving fit young people.

 

[43066]

Hmm…

The logo is over-used in my view (in terms of its interpolation into the captions) - I wonder if having it in more of the background shots or on props might have been effective, but more subtle.

The music cuts off somewhat awkwardly at the end into train noise.

Think about the messaging in the lyrics: “Can you love me again?” Is this what the railway needs to be asking potential customers? Or would the visuals have worked better with something like Love never felt so good by Michael Jackson?

Gill Sans type-face with double arrows: interesting combination that is clean and works.

Anything with Michael Jackson is a non starter I’d have said. Might as well have Jimmy Saville back “age of the train”…

 

[crossani]

Why aren't they using Rail Alphabet 2?

I think it's designed for signage, not displays. Though that is a point - what's GBR's preferred type for screens?

 

[trebor79]

Yes & publicising how much extra room there is now onboard trains across the regional & Intercity fleet. The comments I get from those who haven’t travelled for one reason or another in the last couple of years has by & large been extremely positive.

I really like the way they use the GA Hare, very prominent on billboards and on adverts. But I agree that people still associate GA with clapped out 153s and 156s instead of the fanatasic 755/745s

They really are very good, nice and spacious, comfortable with a decent number of table bays. Complete transformation from what went before.

Although not railway related my biggest reaction was to the appalling shots of people jumping into open water.

There have been a large number of drownings from this activity in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, canals and the sea this year; generally involving fit young people.

Good grief! Best not encourage people to have any sort of fun, in case they hurt themselves.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Good grief! Best not encourage people to have any sort of fun, in case they hurt themselves.

There are plenty of 'fun' activities that are far less hazardous than unsupervised open/cold water swimming.

Those who receive the National and Yorkshire evening BBCTV News will have seen and heard about at least seven drownings in Scotland and another seven in Yorkshire during the recent hot spell. Plenty of coverage of the grieving families and friends, shrines and vigils. Really tragic and un-necessary.

(I lost a close friend from this cause some years ago.)

 

[43066]

There are plenty of 'fun' activities that are far less hazardous than unsupervised open/cold water swimming.

Those who receive the National and Yorkshire evening BBCTV News will have seen and heard about at least seven drownings in Scotland and another seven in Yorkshire during the recent hot spell. Plenty of coverage of the grieving families and friends, shrines and vigils. Really tragic and un-necessary.

(I lost a close friend from this cause some years ago.)

So a tiny number of deaths, in other words. Mostly due to people taking stupid risks, no doubt. Plenty of people enjoy open swimming perfectly safely.

It’s worth remembering that far, far more people die prematurely as a result of sedentary lifestyles than any kind of physical activity such as this.

 

[trebor79]

Well OK, but having watch the ad too, it's clear they jump into an water with buoys marking a swimming area.

Anyway, I don't think people watch this sort of thing and go "Do you know what, I'm going to go and leap into that flooded quarry at weekend, looks like fun", and more than I am inspired to go bungee jumping when I see that activity on a screen (spoiler: not at all).

I suspect your "appalment" has more to do with your personal experience than the ad itself. That is understandable if you lost someone close to you, but it's not a normal reaction to something that's depicting people getting back to normal life.

 

[nlogax]

Interesting to see this ad, if only because this is our first hint that the double arrows are truly back in a marketing sense.

 

[Bertie the bus]

The theme is getting back to normal. I’ve largely been back to normal for a while but my rail usage is still much reduced. After a prolonged period of not using the railway, it getting back to normal isn’t going to encourage me back. Back to normal for the railway is unacceptable. It needs to improve.

 

[aoa123]

As a pretty frequent user of the railways I would say there should be a campaign to discourage people from travelling by train at the minute because the current system can barely cope with current demand let alone anything more!

Where to start... cancellations, trains replaced by buses, abysmal sunday services, short formed services, distinct lack of advance tickets. As a random example of many - went to the peaks last weekend - 6.36 Nottingham to Chinley 2 carriages (short formed) packed and standing only from Chesterfield, this at 7am, is this an image that will encourage people back to trains? Returned Sunday, awful combination of cancellations and bus substitutions.

I am in favour of more people using trains but the infrastucture and conditions are simply not there at the minute to enable this to happen in any successful way.

 

[trebor79]

As a pretty frequent user of the railways I would say there should be a campaign to discourage people from travelling by train at the minute because the current system can barely cope with current demand let alone anything more!

Where to start... cancellations, trains replaced by buses, abysmal sunday services, short formed services, distinct lack of advance tickets. As a random example of many - went to the peaks last weekend - 6.36 Nottingham to Chinley 2 carriages (short formed) packed and standing only from Chesterfield, this at 7am, is this an image that will encourage people back to trains? Returned Sunday, awful combination of cancellations and bus substitutions.

I am in favour of more people using trains but the infrastucture and conditions are simply not there at the minute to enable this to happen in any successful way.

In complete contrast I've being doing a semi-regular commute from Eat Anglia to Sleaford for the past few months - out and back in a day and sometimes several times a week. MY experience has been a table to work at on almost every service, clean trains running on time and couldn't be better. I have had just one minor delay and one very late return home due to lightning strikes on the signalling system.

 

[Ianno87]

Great little advert, I thought.

 

[dk1]

Great little advert, I thought.

Me too. Very impressed.

 

[trebor79]

Great little advert, I thought.

Agree. Smart branding, tugs at the heart strings a little and a bit of a reboot of the double arrow.

 

[Scotrail314209]

That was a nice advert, but I feel it should've waited until services were back up.

The experience in the advert definitely doesn't mirror the one the poor passengers on the West Coast Mainline are experiencing with Avanti.

 

[Non Multi]

I think it's designed for signage, not displays. Though that is a point - what's GBR's preferred type for screens?

Surely the redesign was to optimise Rail Alphabet for electronic displays. I wonder if the ad agency creatives took a look at RA2 and said, "Nope!"

 

[Skie]

Not a bad advert. The station overly plastered with large red backgrounded signs did look a bit like something from WWII. Just keep Hugo Boss away from the uniforms!

 

[70014IronDuke]

I can't help but feel considering many areas are still dealing with massive service reductions compared to pre COVID this is just too early. Sort the services out first and then advertise. I actually quite like the ad, but I know a lot of reactions will be people asking where their services are still!

This, 100%, every time.

No use shouting about a wonderful product when it isn't (even if it's through no fault of the product provider).

It just causes the opposite effect, and cynicism. Why are the spending money on such adverts when they can't provide trains? etc etc