Passport Stamp Stories Celebrate 25 Years of Heathrow Express

Bespoke passport stamps that highlight how Heathrow Express has started customers on their journey to some of life’s biggest milestones feature in a new campaign to mark the high-speed rail link’s 25th anniversary. It breaks on May 29th.

Created by St Luke’s, the unique stamps feature stories of big birthday bashes, defining career moments and a beautiful Italian wedding. To give the stamps an authentic look, the agency handcrafted them individually before stamping them on paper to get the texture and look of the ink. 

In one execution, we see a love story unfold in just three passport stamps from first meeting to engagement and marriage: ‘Maya’s Do. 08 Sept 1998. Amsterdam’, ‘Jo’s Hen Do. 15.09.2015. Marbella’, and ‘I Do. 20.05.2023. Venice’.

The campaign will initially run across D6 and escalator panels from late May into June, with a second burst to follow in August and September. 

Dan Edwards, Heathrow Express business lead, said, “Many of life’s most exciting adventures begin at the airport, and over the past 25 years, the Heathrow Express has played an essential role in getting passengers to the airport in speed and comfort. These engaging passport stamp stories bring that to life in a charming and relatable way.”

Richard Denney, joint chief creative officer at St Luke’s, said, “When you open up your passport and take a look at the stamps inside, not only do they remind you of where you have been but also of the important moments that happened whilst away. And for millions of passengers over the last 25 years, Heathrow Express has been the start of those unforgettable trips.”

Heathrow Express launched as a premium non-stop train service between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport in 1998. Over the past 25 years, more than 100 million passengers have taken the 15-minute journey on the Heathrow Express, which carries 30,000 pieces of luggage a day. In 2022, the number of passengers increased 282% year on year as demand returned to pre-pandemic levels.