Eleanor LNER Doll

[mpthomson]

We are often critical of normals failing to understand railways, this thread is becoming rail enthusiasts failing to understand marketing.

Indeed (again!)

 

[Mat17]

I suddenly have those Plenty toilet roll adverts in my head!

It didn't quote the post I was referring to. I was referring to the Southern mascot.

 

[Dave W]

We are often critical of normals failing to understand railways, this thread is becoming rail enthusiasts failing to understand marketing.

To some extent - although I rather think it's more people applying their own view on the matter. As in: "I don't associate with a puppet, I only want steam locomotives and interwar styling as that's how I see the ideal railway"

... which is fair enough. But unless they are in the field of PR and marketing it's just a preference which LNER will have established isn't the one they should be chasing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

We are often critical of normals failing to understand railways, this thread is becoming rail enthusiasts failing to understand marketing.

Indeed. And to paraphrase Lord Leverhulme (or possibly U.S. retail magnate John Wanamaker)... "Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted, the trouble is you never know which half!'"

 

[Notabene]

I wouldn't want Eleanor in my quiet coach!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wouldn't want Eleanor in my quiet coach!

I'm half surprised she isn't featured playing garbage out loud on her phone, as that is the attitude her other actions are in line with.

 

[GusB]

I'm half surprised she isn't featured playing garbage out loud on her phone, as that is the attitude her other actions are in line with.

It isn't real! Please lighten up a bit

 

[Whisky Papa]

You'd also think that they could advertise their destinations in the process. Surely one of the most important things about a transport "product" is the destination. LNER need people to be saying "it would be nice to go to York on the weekend" or "flying to Edinburgh is too much hassle, let's take the train"

True, although perhaps not going as far as Northern's current "500+ Destinations" marketing line.

Even with the most charitable view, I can think of many of their stations which make far better origins than destinations!

 

[godfreycomplex]

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 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?

I wouldn't want Eleanor in my quiet coach!

I'm half surprised she isn't featured playing garbage out loud on her phone, as that is the attitude her other actions are in line with.

I wonder if some of the negative commenters would be so irate if the puppet was male…

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wonder if you’d all be so irate if the puppet was male…

I would if it was Kermit the Frog too, yes. It's just naff.

 

[contrex]

I think she's cute, and, having made the mistake of showing her picture to my niece and nephew, now have the task of sourcing two. Can she be bought anywhere?

 

[Krokodil]

The average person booking a train ticket in the Uk doesnt care about Sir Nigel Stanier or William Gresley.

Who said that they should? They care about going places (which may be places they haven't previously thought of) quickly, comfortably and for a reasonable price. This ad isn't really selling that for me.

As in: "I don't associate with a puppet, I only want steam locomotives and interwar styling as that's how I see the ideal railway"

No one was demanding steam locomotives (though when introducing a new and improved service a montage showing progress from old to new might work well).

I prefer the messaging of the classic Intercity advert. All about how much more convenient train travel was on business trips ("when did you last see a train with a puncture?...").

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Oct 2025 ==

True, although perhaps not going as far as Northern's current "500+ Destinations" marketing line.

Even with the most charitable view, I can think of many of their stations which make far better origins than destinations!

They can hardly promote the frequency and reliability of their services!

 

[Skiddaw]

I think she's cute, and, having made the mistake of showing her picture to my niece and nephew, now have the task of sourcing two. Can she be bought anywhere?

I think she's rather cute too. She's certainly a damn sight less creepy than the Argos doll.

The LNER shop is currently closed but I can imagine they'd make quite a killing on Eleanor dolls with Christmas coming up.

 

[contrex]

She's certainly a damn sight less creepy than the Argos doll.

My niece says she 'feels sorry for her'.

 

[duffield]

I wonder if you’d all be so irate if the puppet was male…

Well, I haven't got the slightest whiff of misogyny from the language of any of the anti-puppet comments so far, so I'm not sure why you would think that.

Actually I think it's fairly androgynous-looking anyhow.

(Personally I have no strong feelings about either this puppet or (say) the EMR thing. Which is quite high praise from me since I find most advertising annoying, disturbing or offensive!)

 

[Doctor Fegg]

We are often critical of normals failing to understand railways, this thread is becoming rail enthusiasts failing to understand marketing.

And you know the profession of everyone posting in this thread, do you?

Eleanor is a fairly standard brand awareness campaign, of the sort that M&C Saatchi have churned out thousands over the years. I don’t think it’s an especially good one: Eleanor doesn’t bring any strong associations other than a fairly nebulous “freedom”, whereas GWR’s Famous Five communicates relaxation and leisure values.

I’m more concerned about the wisdom of running a brand awareness campaign when an entire new brand is being hatched, i.e. Great British Railways, but I’m sure they know what they’re doing

 

[BAFRA77]

I prefer the messaging of the classic Intercity advert. All about how much more convenient train travel was on business trips ("when did you last see a train with a puncture?...").

How did the jingle go again? "This is a Epoch of the Rail" or something like that?

 

[norbitonflyer]

I wonder if you’d all be so irate if the puppet was male…

Buzby was male, and just as irritating

 

[contrex]

GWR’s Famous Five communicates relaxation and leisure values.

To me, they communicate Enid-Blytonesque toffee-nosed brattish values.

 

[Bletchleyite]

To me, they communicate Enid-Blytonesque toffee-nosed brattish values.

If that's the case, then Eleanor communicates "loud, arrogant Gen-Zer who has no idea how to behave properly in public"

Imagine a hen-do group of lots of them

 

[EYFanatic]

Imagine a hen-do group of lots of them

Oh, so you have been to Newcastle then?

 

[Krokodil]

How did the jingle go again? "This is a Epoch of the Rail" or something like that?

That one was "We're getting there"

 

[Bletchleyite]

That one was "We're getting there"

"This is the age of the train" - yeah, about 40 years old or so...

 

[Krokodil]

"This is the age of the train" - yeah, about 40 years old or so...

Pretty sure that "we're getting there" came first. It was definitely the one used on the police class 37 advert.

 

[contrex]

Oh, so you have been to Newcastle then?

Doncaster, I'd have thought.

 

[D1537]

Pretty sure that "we're getting there" came first. It was definitely the one used on the police class 37 advert.

The "Age of the Train" ones were first (late 70s-early 80s). The "We're Getting There" ones were the next tranche (early-mid-80s). Which fits with the the Class 37 advert, which was 1984.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Oh, so you have been to Newcastle then?

I met a hen-party on the Tyne Valley line on my way to my father's deathbed. They were lovely.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

In general, though of course there can be adverts that just fail, if the advert doesn't speak or appeal to you then you aren't part of the intended target audience.

 

[Buzby]

Buzby was male, and just as irritating

Hmm. Well the voice was Bernard Cribbins (before he narrated The Wombles).

 

[Ellwill]

an abomination of a ticketing policy

Coverage in recent issues of Private Eye has been especially critical of this from the DafT. 1658 has a decent writeup on how LNER's policy is effectively a wrecking ball to affordable walk up travel, whereas more recently 1660 has taken aim at Northern's new DPAYG scheme on the Leeds-Harrogate route, asserting that it will "add yet more fares and and ticket rules to the soup."