Challenge

South Western Railway is one of the largest train operators in the UK, connecting the South Coast with the heart of London. Like many businesses, the pandemic presented an existential crisis. Would people ever go back into the office?

Research showed that the average commuter planned to commute 2 days a week or less in the ‘new normal’. Similarly, leisure travellers were wary of the train. If SWR couldn’t convince them, the train service wouldn’t be viable. At the same time, leisure travellers had got out of the habit of days out in London, spending more of their leisure time locally.

We needed to get both audiences back on the train. This was a literal ‘bums on seats’ challenge.

Solution

While most train operators focus on the experience of rail travel, we pivoted to the benefits at the end of the journey. Internally, we worked with the leadership team to define a brand purpose and mission, and then set about repositioning the brand with passengers. We reframed SWR as the brand working harder to get you to where it’s happening. This was expressed through the Agenda Setting Idea ‘Spread your Wings’. At a brand identity level we breathed new meaning into the logo, which represents the south west corner of the UK. We turned it into a little bird, which takes flight, representing the freedom and growth made possible by SWR.

We created a whole new brand world to tell this new brand story. At the heart are two characters: Wesley Peck, our cheeky-chappie pigeon from Peckham, representing all the best bits of London, and Sandy C. Gull, representing the very best of the south coast. And through this unlikely avian friendship, sparked on a South Western Railway commuter train, we invited consumers to Spread their Wings and live life to the full once more.

The campaign covers both the commuter and leisure audiences and runs across all channels (TV, Radio, digital, social, owned and earned media). It covers every stage of the funnel, from lifestyle inspiration at the top, ticketing options in the middle, through to specific journey pricing and booking comms to drive conversion.

Results

The repositioning and subsequent campaign is the most effective that SWR has ever run at increasing propensity to take the train – with 55% of people claiming it would make them more likely to do so.

All brand metrics have improved, including perceptions of good value fares at a time when fares have actually increased). More importantly, those aware of the campaign estimate they will travel the equivalent of an extra day per month compared to those unaware of the campaign.