Eleanor LNER Doll

[GordonT]

Having regard to the name of the GTR CEO has anyone offered up the prospect of an Angie Doll doll?

 

[Krokodil]

Probably because railways, trains and platforms are a pretty dangerous and safety critical environment…

Just a guess though.

At the prices LNER charges, it is surely looking to attract a higher class of passenger.

GWR's campaign is a good one for their "trips to the beach" market on the West of England line.

 

[Bletchleyite]

GWR's campaign is a good one for their "trips to the beach" market on the West of England line.

For all the jokes and the metal bar seats I think it's easily the best railway branding and promotional package I've seen in my lifetime.

 

[orestad]

The advert plays as if it is aimed at young children, but why would they be a target audience?

Because kids will think of LNER when they think of ECML travel and when they grow up, they’ll choose LNER as their TOC of choice for travel.

 

[AlterEgo]

Because kids will think of LNER when they think of ECML travel and when they grow up, they’ll choose LNER as their TOC of choice for travel.

LNER won't be around when "the kids grow up".

 

[mpthomson]

Probably because railways, trains and platforms are a pretty dangerous and safety critical environment…

Just a guess though.

Why does that make any difference at all?

Plenty of ‘safety critical environments’ use humour to advertise or pass information to passengers about their products, many scheduled LH airlines have witty or even genuinely funny safety announcements at the start of flights that still get the message across, BA/ANA being just two.

 

[PLY2AYS]

Why does that make any difference at all?

Plenty of ‘safety critical environments’ use humour to advertise or pass information to passengers about their products, many scheduled LH airlines have witty or even genuinely funny safety announcements at the start of flights that still get the message across, BA/ANA being just two.

It doesn’t, you’re right. But I was attesting to the nature of the OP’s question.

Although I’d argue that there is a lot more risk regarding travelling by rail.

 

[duffield]

LNER won't be around when "the kids grow up".

I'm thinking it's likely it will, but probably just as a sub-brand of GBR. I'm not sure there is or will be under future governments an appetite for any sort of setup where trains/routes keep getting re-branded, I think that time has come and gone, so the already restored "traditional" brands like LNER and GWR will probably stick indefinitely, while some of the others might get a final rebrand (e.g. the three South/Southern brands getting merged).

The question is why GBR should care whether you use LNER routes versus other routes once it's all GBR, and that would be more about capacity than making a specific route more profitable at the expense of another route. However, depending how GBR is sectorised some sort of internal competition between LNER and (say) the WCML might be allowed with attendant rival advertising, or they might both be part of a reformed Intercity and not really competing at all. Unless I've missed something, the details haven't been decided yet.

 

[KevinBrum12]

I suspect the way forward will be a mix of generic GBR advertising for the national network and travelling by rail and regional local advertising for travel to specific areas.

I think Eleanor has devalued LNER as a brand. This is a route associated with the Flying Scotsman, Mallard and the Gresley Streamliners. Indeed, the London Weekend Television adaptations of Christie's Poirot starring David Suchet used a CGI of an A4 branded LNER in the titles. Had LNER been the brand for East Coast Main Line services then, it would have free, classy, advertising. Maybe this was a factor in Sea Containers using GNER as the branding when they won the InterCity East Coast franchise?

 

[renegademaster]

I'm convinced this whole thing about LNER being the "best" is purely down to the rail comentariat coming to that opinion as they graze in first class on discount tickets eating free food.

A less than stellar record on p-codeding and an abomination of a ticketing policy. If this was Avanti they'd be pressure to hand the contract back...........(Side eye)

And the stupid doll can go in the bin

People think it's good because it's better than Avanti, which isn't really hard, especially considering the ECML is less complex and meltdowns less often.

 

[duffield]

People think it's good because it's better than Avanti, which isn't really hard, especially considering the ECML is less complex and meltdowns less often.

Yes, for Scotland bound passengers for example, it would be interesting to see on how many days in the last year it was impossible to get beyond Preston on the WCML compared to how many days it was impossible to get beyond (say) Newcastle on the ECML.

Also, of course, if you use LNER you don't have to use Euston!

 

[43074]

I think Eleanor has devalued LNER as a brand. This is a route associated with the Flying Scotsman, Mallard and the Gresley Streamliners.

I think we can be pretty confident 99% of their customers do not associate the modern LNER with Mallard, Flying Scotsman or the other Gresley streamliners, nor is LNER's brand trying to evoke that sort of imagery.

Sure, perhaps some will have heard of Mallard and Flying Scotsman, but a fun puppet who can generate (mostly positive) interactions on the likes of Instagram and TikToc won't be doing any harm to their brand.

 

[RacsoMoquette]

What previous defunct TOCs had intresting/entertaining/unique advertising mascots or figureheads?

Personally I prefer the GreaterAnglia oragami Hare. Its simplicity and the fact that a Hare is a fast creature gives the impression of speed and efficiency. I am not so sure about EMRs shapeless thing called “Miles” or SWRs strange Pidgeon with glasses. LNERs “Elinor” doll seems a bit trying. The advert depicts this doll walking on chairs, jumping in the aisles and walking on the cealing! Hardly a good advert for good behavior on public transport. Not great for little children to see.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

I don't think using a Muppet to advertise your train service gives a good impression of your competence at the operation thereof, personally. Mind you, perhaps it's in line with the fares policy.

I think the slogan “Freedom all the Way” is not good for young children. It gives the impression train travel is some kind of playground or amusement park. In reality it’s just a form of transport were people wish to relax, chat to their family members and read. People don’t want their peaceful journeys disturbed by people running and staring at you! The Elinor character is depicted staring at people and jumping in the aisle, and at one point walked on the cealing! Not a great advert at all.

 

[sad1e]

What previous defunct TOCs had intresting/entertaining/unique advertising mascots or figureheads?

Personally I think the Midland Mainline Stag was quite a good mascot / logo for similar reasons to the Greater Anglia Hare

 

[Dr Hoo]

Because kids will think of LNER when they think of ECML travel and when they grow up, they’ll choose LNER as their TOC of choice for travel.

…until they have to find the money to pay for tickets themselves.

Within GBR surely TOC brands won’t exist by the time that they have grown up as well.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I think we can be pretty confident 99% of their customers do not associate the modern LNER with Mallard, Flying Scotsman or the other Gresley streamliners, nor is LNER's brand trying to evoke that sort of imagery.

So why did they call it LNER then? (I admit that "Esat Coast" is a misnomer, given that many more stations on the east coast are served by Greatr Anglia and Northern. (Even Eaat Midland has a few)

 

[43074]

So why did they call it LNER then? (I admit that "Esat Coast" is a misnomer, given that many more stations on the east coast are served by Greatr Anglia and Northern. (Even Eaat Midland has a few)

Because it's still a relevant way of describing what the business does?

But the greys, reds and burgundy of the current LNER (in my opinion) don't evoke images of the original, the whole brand is just a hangover from the reds used by Virgin Trains East Coast really.

It's not like brands like Corn Flakes or Dairy Milk which were contemporary to the original LNER and pretty much use the same colour palette etc, or even GWR's brand which plays on the heritage of the original GWR in a much more obvious way to LNER.

 

[Krokodil]

But the greys, reds and burgundy of the current LNER (in my opinion) don't evoke images of the original, the whole brand is just a hangover from the reds used by Virgin Trains East Coast really.

It does make me wonder whether they could have played on the 1930s glamour and speed if they'd painted the IETs in an approximation of the two tone Marlborough blue/garter blue Coronation livery. I find that complex vinyled liveries (such as VTEC/LNER used) weather badly.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Personally I think the Midland Mainline Stag was quite a good mascot / logo for similar reasons to the Greater Anglia Hare

Yep, the Midland Mainline logo was lovely. Why they ensh*ttified into the more tacky later logo I don’t know. If GBR continues with the old branding, they should get rid of the Whitehall-esque East Midlands and Greater Anglia names and just go back to Midland and Great Eastern. Are there any overseas rail mascots that are particularly good?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

It does make me wonder whether they could have played on the 1930s glamour and speed if they'd painted the IETs in an approximation of the two tone Marlborough blue/garter blue Coronation livery. I find that complex vinyled liveries (such as VTEC/LNER used) weather badly.

That’s what I was going to say. It seems like the whole LNER brand is the Virgin tail wagging the dog a bit.

 

[norbitonflyer]

That’s what I was going to say. It seems like the whole LNER brand is the Virgin tail wagging the dog a bit.

The OLR was not going to spend much money on rebranding, so has always gone with whatever liveries it inherited, only removing any reference to the former TOC

 

[mpthomson]

I think Eleanor has devalued LNER as a brand. This is a route associated with the Flying Scotsman, Mallard and the Gresley Streamliners. Indeed, the London Weekend Television adaptations of Christie's Poirot starring David Suchet used a CGI of an A4 branded LNER in the titles. Had LNER been the brand for East Coast Main Line services then, it would have free, classy, advertising. Maybe this was a factor in Sea Containers using GNER as the branding when they won the InterCity East Coast franchise?

No one who isn’t a rail enthusiast will associate LNER with that nowadays or remotely care about what trains were operated by a wholly different company 80 to 100yrs ago.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No one who isn’t a rail enthusiast will associate LNER with that nowadays or remotely care about what trains were operated by a wholly different company 80 to 100yrs ago.

People as a whole do like a bit of nostalgia. That it's that specific company name isn't important, but that it's called something that sounds a bit fancy rather than "London to Scotland Trains" is quite powerful marketing. The GWR branding is all based on that. "London, Newcastle and Edinburgh Railway" would work too (aside from that it misses a load of places), but if there's already one to use why make another one up?

 

[mpthomson]

People as a whole do like a bit of nostalgia. That it's that specific company name isn't important, but that it's called something that sounds a bit fancy rather than "London to Scotland Trains" is quite powerful marketing. The GWR branding is all based on that. "London, Newcastle and Edinburgh Railway" would work too (aside from that it misses a load of places), but if there's already one to use why make another one up?

I've no issue with the traditional names and the older names are great, but to the vast majority of the travelling public they're not that relevant. For them the trains could be called anything as long as they're clean, modern, on time, safe, affordable etc. Virgin West Coast has been probably the most successful branding/marketing exercise on rail in the last 30yrs regardless of what their actual performance was like, people's view of Branson etc

But that's not really what I was calling out in my post, it's the harking back to A3s, Flying Scotsman and Mallard as these are wholly irrelevant to the vast majority of the travelling public and no company is reallistically going to use 100yr old product as a reference point in advertising. It's not disrespectful to LNER's legacy, such as the modern version of the company has any, to produce modern adverts that someone doesn't like.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've no issue with the traditional names and the older names are great, but to the vast majority of the travelling public they're not that relevant. For them the trains could be called anything as long as they're clean, modern, on time, safe, affordable etc. Virgin West Coast has been probably the most successful branding/marketing exercise on rail in the last 30yrs regardless of what their actual performance was like, people's view of Branson etc

That example proves that brand matters. People resonate with nostalgia and they resonate with glitz (Virgin was of course the latter). They don't resonate with First East Coast Trains or whatever. (Lumo is a bit different because the marketing there is simply that it's cheap, an accusation that can't be levelled at franchised TOCs bar a few Northern Advance fares).

 

[Spartacus]

But that's not really what I was calling out in my post, it's the harking back to A3s, Flying Scotsman and Mallard as these are wholly irrelevant to the vast majority of the travelling public and no company is reallistically going to use 100yr old product as a reference point in advertising. It's not disrespectful to LNER's legacy, such as the modern version of the company has any, to produce modern adverts that someone doesn't like.

What, you mean like when Virgin had a line up of an A3, HST, 225 & Azuma, or LNER celebrating it's "centenary" naming 801228 Century and various presentations of 100 firsts? LNER do the nostalgia and the modern, as do many when you look close.

 

[stadler]

What previous defunct TOCs had intresting/entertaining/unique advertising mascots or figureheads?

Personally I prefer the GreaterAnglia oragami Hare. Its simplicity and the fact that a Hare is a fast creature gives the impression of speed and efficiency. I am not so sure about EMRs shapeless thing called “Miles” or SWRs strange Pidgeon with glasses. LNERs “Elinor” doll seems a bit trying. The advert depicts this doll walking on chairs, jumping in the aisles and walking on the cealing! Hardly a good advert for good behavior on public transport. Not great for little children to see.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==


I think the slogan “Freedom all the Way” is not good for young children. It gives the impression train travel is some kind of playground or amusement park. In reality it’s just a form of transport were people wish to relax, chat to their family members and read. People don’t want their peaceful journeys disturbed by people running and staring at you! The Elinor character is depicted staring at people and jumping in the aisle, and at one point walked on the cealing! Not a great advert at all.

Southern had that Loco Toledo mascot. They started using him in 2010 and he was all over the Southern website and station posters until the late 2010s (they got rid of him when the DOO dispute started) but he lasted until 2020 on the posters above the doors on some units. They seem to have completely gotten rid of him now.

This is one of the old adverts that they used to have:

You can see some of the other old advert videos here:

SOUTHERN RAILWAYS - Award winning campaign that's just Loco! — KEN TAYLOR

kentaylor.squarespace.com

I remember seeing Loco Toledo posters on billboards all over the Sussex area advertising train tickets.











They even had that Loco Toledo theme song about visiting destinations on their network that they created which was on their website. I can not find it now but it is probably archived somewhere. I can remember some of the lyrics were something like "next i go to Milton Keynes, they have an indoor slope, but i not very good at skiing, for me there is no hope" and "next i stop at Guildford, they posher than a king, they have a big cathedral with bells they like to ring" despite the fact that Southern only served Guildford a couple times a day.

It was a bit of a weird mascot. Not sure what a Mexican wrestler has to do with a British train company. Although i suppose the same could be said for other mascots like a Russian meerkat representing British insurance deals.

LNER are certainly not the first train operator to have created a mascot at their train company.

 

[Bletchleyite]

To be entirely fair to LNER that is a lot more "cringe" than the Muppet!

 

[D1537]

"London, Newcastle and Edinburgh Railway" would work too (aside from that it misses a load of places), but if there's already one to use why make another one up?

A cynic would say that the December 2025 timetable makes LNER exactly that ....

Meanwhile, my local station is on the ECML and I commute to work a couple of times a week using LNER, and I seem to have tuned the Eleanor ads out, despite the fact they're everywhere. Well, apart from waiting at Durham the other week and seeing her massive face on the side of that Azuma they've vinyled up.

 

[Spartacus]

Southern had that Loco Toledo mascot. They started using him in 2010 and he was all over the Southern website and station posters until the late 2010s (they got rid of him when the DOO dispute started) but he lasted until 2020 on the posters above the doors on some units. They seem to have completely gotten rid of him now.

This is one of the old adverts that they used to have:

You can see some of the other old advert videos here:

SOUTHERN RAILWAYS - Award winning campaign that's just Loco! — KEN TAYLOR

kentaylor.squarespace.com

I remember seeing Loco Toledo posters on billboards all over the Sussex area advertising train tickets.











They even had that Loco Toledo theme song about visiting destinations on their network that they created which was on their website. I can not find it now but it is probably archived somewhere. I can remember some of the lyrics were something like "next i go to Milton Keynes, they have an indoor slope, but i not very good at skiing, for me there is no hope" and "next i stop at Guildford, they posher than a king, they have a big cathedral with bells they like to ring" despite the fact that Southern only served Guildford a couple times a day.

It was a bit of a weird mascot. Not sure what a Mexican wrestler has to do with a British train company. Although i suppose the same could be said for other mascots like a Russian meerkat representing British insurance deals.

LNER are certainly not the first train operator to have created a mascot at their train company.

I remember seeing a few ads with him on during a visit to London and being mightily confused as to why they had what appeared to be a Mexican wrestler advertising was advertising Southern services, wondering if it was some sort of tie in to an event similar to the Sumo wrestling at the Albert Hall. I do remember his trainers as well, before green ones because really popular I liked them, and so apparently did this guy!

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Could be worse.

We had Harry Connick Jr do Connex ads.

Oh and people singing on a train.