Nobody Knows That VIA Rail Has New Trains

This year, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) began putting its new trains into service, and by the end of 2025, all 32 new train sets will be in operation in the corridor between Québec City and Windsor. The catch? Hardly anyone knew about it. Drawing from this observation, VIA Rail collaborated with Cossette to launch a new signage campaign called Nobody Knows. This initiative aims to share the news with the general public in a surprising way — with a massive signage campaign that doesn’t show a single picture of the new trains.

“In 2024, it’s practically impossible not to be aware of things,” joked Jessica Fecteau, art director at Cossette. “But because VIA Rail didn’t make a big announcement about its new trains, few people knew that they have the possibility to hop on board these latest models. We figured the best way to spark curiosity was to tell without showing and let people do some digging on their own. That’s what fuelled our creativity.”

The OOH ads use humour to convey simple, yet impactful messages that make travellers want to check out the new trains. Just days after the campaign kicked off, visitor traffic to the VIA Rail website increased significantly, demonstrating that talking about the trains without showing them was a creative approach that clearly resonated with the audience.

“After two years of rolling on the tracks, we’re excited to invite travellers to experience our new trains, featuring enhanced accessibility, comfort and space. And why not have a little fun while we’re at it?” said Brigitte Dagnault, chief communications and marketing officer at VIA Rail. “This unique approach makes the campaign more memorable by getting people to act—or at least react. People are already sharing photos of our ads online. Looks like our strategy paid off!”

The campaign ran in Toronto and Ottawa from May 8 to June 4 and will run in Montreal from June 3 to 30 through both out-of-home and digital media. In collaboration with media partner, Touché!, it will be visible across a multitude of strategically chosen points of contact to reach our target audience (such as car drivers and public transport users), including buses, bus shelters, highway billboards, and the metro.