Catching Trains and Eyes
Trains and train stations with their high volume of commuters are obviously ideal locations for brands to garner heightened public attention in communicating their messages.
But attention has to be earned, with creative ideas that go beyond the ‘wallpaper’ of posters and handouts of promotional flyers that confront commuters daily and which they glance at with indifference, or totally ignore.
1. Coca-Cola: Happiness Starts With A Smile
Advertising Agency: Serviceplan Benelux, Gonzales Brussels
Inspired by the simple human truth that laughter can be contagious the agency launched this Coca-Cola brand activation, social experiment on a crowded Antwerp train with entertaining results.
2. Swisscom, All Eyes On The Samsung S4
Advertising Agency: Heimat, Berlin, Germany
Swisscom AG, a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland and Samsung, joined forces for a promotion of the S4 smartphone.
Heimat developed a cross-media campaign that centered around a brand activation competition staged in Switzerland’s four major rail stations.
‘All Eyes On The S4’ was streamed live on the S4 microsite and via YouTube which motivated 500,000 views in the first day. In total the campaign achieved 151,000 microsite interactions, 1,5 million live stream views and over 12 million advertising impressions in Switzerland.
Heimat’s Chief Creative Officer, Myles Lord, said it was noteworthy that; “In this digital age, real life experiences still count the most and actually touch people the most”.
3. Apolosophy, Hair-Raising Subway Poster
Advertising Agency: Akestam Holst, Stockholm
Media Production: Stopp Family, Stockholm
This cleverly timed digital subway poster for Swedish Pharmacy Apotec’s new Apolosophy hair-care brand, is rewardingly effective.
4. Barncancerfonden, A Hair-Raising Message
Advertising Agency: Garbergs, Stockholm
Media Production: Adamsky, Stockholm
Barncancerfonden, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, was able to increase text message donations by 1,000% with their poster’s emotive message and clear call to action.
Public attention was greatly advanced by cleverly capitalising on the high consumer awareness of the preceding subway poster for Apotec’s Apolosophy hair care brand.
5. Coca-Cola Zero, Unlock The 007 In You
Advertising Agency: Duval Guillaume Modem, Antwerp, Belgium
The Coca-Cola Zero brand activation to coincide with the release of the 007 Skyfall movie, involved a challenge announced via a vending machine in Antwerp’s main rail station.
The machine challenged users to get to platform 6 in 70 seconds to secure free Skyfall movie tickets. Getting to platform 6 however, was not that simple.
The obstacles challengers encountered along the way was filmed live and edited for online release. Their exploits motivated over 10 million views and at the time was the most watched online film in the Coca-Cola company’s advertising history.
6. Lynx Excite, Angel Ambush London Victoria
Media Agency: WPP Mindshare, London
The augmented reality brand activation at London’s Victoria train station for Lynx/Axe Excite is an extension of the ‘Even Angels Will Fall’ campaign by BBH, London that was awarded an Effectiveness Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
The pivotal commercial of the campaign was directed by Rupert Sanders and filmed in Split, Croatia. It can be viewed on the ACES engagement menu of ‘Cause and Effect’
7. Reebok ZPump Fusion, Subway Pump Battle
Advertising Agency: Innored, Seoul, South Korea
Innored, a leading independent South Korean agency, developed this ingenious subway train station brand activation for Reebok’s ‘Be More Human’ Zpump Fusion campaign.
The attention to detail of the design aesthetics, interactive logistics and brand presentation delivery are breathtaking and a delight to behold.
8. SNCF, Europe Is Just Next Door
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Paris, France
SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) is France’s national, state-owned railway company.
They run the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) high-speed rail network across Europe with trains travelling at speeds reaching 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph).
The ‘Europe Is Just Next Door’ campaign was a brand activation to promote their new European city high-speed TGV links between Milan, Stugart, Geneva, Barcelona and Brussels.
But instead of staging the activation inside train stations, the aim was to get people to a station so the agency decided to go outside and took to the streets of Paris instead.
Mysterious doors were placed around the city with a great surprise waiting behind them for pedestrians curious enough to open them.