26 February 2015

Direct to the sun: Eurostar launches new campaign for the south of France

 
Eurostar today launches a new advertising campaign to promote its year-round service direct to Lyon and the South of France.
 
Campaign in London
Targeting the leisure market, the creative focuses on the warmth and sunshine of the popular French destinations of Lyon, Avignon and Marseille which will all be within easy reach of London thanks to the new Eurostar service starting on 1^st May. The campaign will appear across digital media (since 2^nd February) as well as London underground and buses from the 2^nd March.
 
Celebrating the variety of landscapes that can be enjoyed with train travel to the South of France, four different visuals have been developed for the UK campaign by French agency ‘Gabriel’. The visuals take inspiration from the  ‘PLM posters’ (Paris-Lyon-Marseille) used in the 1920s and 30s, when the popularity of rail soared as the best way to travel across France.
 
Each image used in the UK campaign has been selected to highlight the glamour of Eurostar’s new range of French destinations, with artwork produced by Blex Bolex. The French illustrator also created imagery for children’s book ‘L’Imagier Des Gens’, awarded the Most Beautiful Book of 2008 at the Leipzig Book Fair. 
 
The new Eurostar route offers a seamless journey from the heart of London or Ashford to the centre of Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.  Fares start from just £89 return in Standard Class and £189 in Standard Premier, with up to five services a week, depending on the time of year.
 
Lionel Benbassat, Head of Marketing and Brand, Eurostar, said:
“With this new campaign we want to inspire UK travellers to set off and enjoy all that our new destinations have to offer, the sun being a huge attraction and therefore a significant element of the creative! The visuals not only create a sense of excitement about the beautiful cities on our new route, but communicate the pleasure of travelling by train and being able to take in the landscapes of the region en-route.”
 
Gabriel Gaultier, Creative Director, Gabriel, said:
“Beyond the destinations, this campaign is a tribute to the unique experience provided by train travel. It allows us to discover the fascinating landscapes you see when crossing the country, and to see what’s in-between the start and end of our journey.We reference the ‘PLM posters’ which first displayed this in the 1920s and 30s, but which we have reinterpreted in a modern way through Blex Bolex’s technique.”
 
Campaign in Lyon
Activity in France will focus on Lyon , highlighting London as a new destination by train. An outdoor campaign will feature a building wrap in Lyon’s ‘Place Bellecour’ from 2^nd March, and a train wrap of the Lyon airport shuttle amongst classic formats from the 17^th – 25^th March.
 
The copy-led campaign features the creative concept of ‘Lyondres’, to show that the new Eurostar route will bring the two cities together, from city centre to city centre. The campaign has been developed to educate people in the area, who previously would have had to change in Paris before taking a Eurostar to London.
 
For more information or to book Eurostar tickets visit http://www.eurostar.com or call the Eurostar contact centre on 03432 186 186 or +44 (0)1233 617 575 if calling from outside the UK.
   
 
About Eurostar

1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille and the French Alps.
2. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph.  Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 150 million passengers between London and the Continent.  Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet. The new e320 will carry around 900 passengers at speeds of up to 320kph.
3. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
4. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies.  Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.