National Rail Issues Rallying Call to Customers to Find the Joy of Connection through ‘Being There’

Rail Delivery Group (RDG) in collaboration with Britain’s train operating companies and Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), launches an industry-wide rallying call to customers this Spring with a new campaign entitled, ‘Nothing Beats Being There’. The work boldly calls out the joy and freedom experienced through getaways by rail and demonstrates how travelling by train connects us to the people, places and experiences that we love.   

A new 30 second TVC launches on Tuesday 4th April with creative capturing fast-paced, candid scenes of travellers about their journey. Cutting between shared moments onboard, as well as documenting the joy of being at a trip’s destination, the work seeks to boost demand from the leisure, commuter and business market. Moments that feature include: families re-uniting; bracing country walks; inspiring trips to a gallery; soaking up tourist sights, surprise visits home and browsing boutiques for interesting finds. Passengers from all walks of life share laughs and conversations onboard as they take their trip; as well as enjoy hobbies and pastimes; plough through work productively or rest in their own thoughts.

‘Nothing Beats Being There’ features a mix of cinematic footage, interspersed with user generated content (UGC), genuine unscripted interactions amongst the travelling public as well as ‘actor-led’ scenes. Award-winning photographer, Sophie Ebrard shot the work after spending over five days travelling by train to shoot 72 hours of content. The campaign is directed by Simon Ratigan and set an energetic and distinctive hard-bass soundtrack, Xanadu by Ummet Ozcan. 

The campaign, devised by Accomplice, with media buying arranged by Spark Foundry, seeks to re-ignite demand with lapsed and infrequent travellers and has a wide-reaching media plan covering TV, (Sky, ITV, Channel 4 and Eurosport), Video On Demand (ITV Hub, All4, Sky and Samsung TV) as well as Out of Home and Digital (Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok) as well as mobile display and gaming executions. The execution is based on the insight that, following a global lockdown, life changed for everyone and even when restrictions were lifted people continued to lean into their digital lives – working, exercising, shopping, meeting and more by means of a screen. Yet the power of connection is real and vital - where digital creates an illusion of togetherness it does not have the reality or joy of being in the moment physically and emotionally.

’Nothing Beats Being There’ hits down amidst a challenging time for Britain’s railways, with changed travel patterns from the pandemic and ongoing disruption from industrial action affecting industry revenue. Penny Allen, Head of Marketing Strategy at the Great British Railways Transition Team – the organisation tasked with overseeing rail revenue recovery post-pandemic – says, “Our new industry-led campaign encourages people to use the railways boosting revenue as well as supporting local economies and encouraging greener travel. It is important that this work continues, even around periods of further potential action, to help put industry finances on the best possible footing and secure rail’s long-term future. Consumer research has been extremely positive to the work as it taps into a real appetite to live life fully and a desire to connect.” 

‘Nothing Beats Being There’ follows the 2021 award winning ‘Let’s Get Back On Track’ campaign for the rail industry which drove results of 53% recall (of those for who rail is an option to travel) and 51% response stating that the campaign made people feel more confident to travel again. 

Cath Lyver of Rail Delivery Group – the membership organisation tasked to deliver a better railway - says: “Working collaboratively with train operating companies, we are seeking to inspire more journeys by rail. The leisure market has shown a great appetite for train travel generating revenue 125% of pre-pandemic levels - we need to sustain this as well as build back commuter and business sectors.”

Ryan Lietaer, co-founder and CEO of Accomplice says: ”Coming into Spring, we wanted to seize the opportunity to lift the spirit of the entire nation and to inspire everyone to get out of the house and onto a train to experience everything that life has to offer. This is a head up, look forward, foot stomping campaign and it celebrates the critical role of Rail in creating joy and connection in our lives. We are thrilled to have something this powerful and timely going into the market.”