Trainline’s Judgmental Prawn Shames Beticos into Escaping Their Holidays

Picture this: a sun lounger, a sandy beach, the sea twinkling in the distance, the gentle clink of ice in a cold drink. A summer holiday doesn’t sound like a scenario most people would need rescuing from - unless, of course, you’re a fan of top Spanish football team Real Betis Balompié, and you’re suffering severe FOMO at the thought of missing the start of season, especially the first home game.

Luckily for Real Betis supporters, also known as Beticos, ticket booking app Trainline has launched a competition to orchestrate a rescue mission, saving the die-hard Beticos from their idyllic vacations - and transporting them to their real dream destination: a packed stadium. With fast, simple rail booking, Trainline is making it easier than ever for their customers to follow their passion—even when it means cutting their vacation short.

The competition launches with a campaign created by independent agency DUDE London. ‘Escape Your Holidays’ aims to promote awareness of the rail booking app in Spain by humorously tapping into the die-hard dedication of the Beticos. With Spain’s premier football league, La Liga, kicking off in mid-August, the season is set to clash with the country’s summer vacation period - but the new campaign offers passionate fans a chance to swap sun loungers for sweaty plastic seats at the all-important first home game of the season.

‘Escape your Holidays’ is directed by Marco Santi of Be Sweet. The film follows a man on a picturesque summer break with his family. Sitting down to enjoy a delicious paella, the protagonist comes face to face with a prawn who knows his dirty secret - he’d rather be watching Real Betis play - and an epic stare-off ensues. Set to a dramatic flamenco soundtrack and rich in surreal, exaggerated humour, the film encourages fans with FOMO to win the chance to escape their summer holidays and be transported from seaside to pitch side.

Firstly each competition entrant must follow @trainline.es on Instagram. Then on their own feed (which needs to be made public), the entrant must share a snap of their idyllic holiday asking to be rescued, tagging @trainline.es and @realbetisbalompie in the post. The deadline is 18th August, and winners are announced 19th August.

Although nearly 76% of Spaniards have travelled to attend a sporting event, with football being the most popular sport, only 33% of people opt to travel by train. The new campaign seeks to boost brand awareness in Spain as part of Trainline's sponsorship platform 'Next Stop: where passion takes us'  and will run across social media, digital and online video channels.

​Leah Knighton, brand director commented, “Real Betis fans are known for their passion—and we wanted to honour that dedication in the most unexpected way possible. ‘Escape Your Holidays’ captures what it feels like to miss match day, and Trainline is here to make sure no fan gets left behind.”

​Alex Prew, creative at DUDE added, “We’ve all been there…stuck on day four of a family holiday when your team needs you the most. I was in France for the Women’s Euro final and I’m still not over it. We cast the most judgmental prawn in Spain to torment a Betico about his match day FOMO, and encourage fans to ditch their holidays for something so much better.”

DUDE London collaborated with McCann Spain, Trainline's social media agency. McCann will be responsible for developing the campaign mechanics, managing social engagement and influencer amplification.