The Famous Five Embark on ‘a Thrilling Engagement’ with Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway (GWR) is back with a new instalment of its much-loved Famous Five campaign inspiring leisure travel with GWR.

‘A Thrilling Engagement’ signals the next chapter of one of Britain’s most consistent, long-term creative platforms. 

As spring arrives and the days start to brighten, the Famous Five are back to inspire more passengers to take leisure journeys. To do this, the brand is looking to shine a light on some of the lesser known and unexpected destinations and activities across the GWR network.

adam&eveDDB’s multi-channel campaign kicks off with a hero 60-second spot, directed by Oscar and BAFTA-winning director Peter Baynton (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse). The film is produced by acclaimed film and animation studio Not to Scale. 

‘The Famous Five’s Thrilling Engagement’ combines an emotive love story with a frantic chase, as the Famous Five race around the network to return a missing engagement ring. The ad shines a spotlight on exciting leisure activities across the region: from hot air ballooning in Bristol, to the delights of Cornwall’s Eden Project, boating in Henley and fine-dining in London. Unsurprisingly, the train is the quickest way to get around; much better than the cars that all seem to be stuck in traffic jams.

Accompanying the film is a fully integrated campaign across cinema, OOH, social, digital and display, as well as a partnership with Global Radio. The wider campaign continues to highlight unexpected destinations and activities including ziplining at the Eden Project, lighthouse climbing in Plymouth, enjoying a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall and surfing in Wales. 

Amanda Burns, sales and marketing director, GWR said, "The Famous Five campaigns have proved a huge success, so we’re excited to bring the much-loved characters back for another adventure, showcasing some of the UK's best spots, accessible by GWR. This campaign highlights the joy and comfort of train travel and the unique experiences GWR unlocks. From great landmarks like the Royal Albert Hall to Cornwall's Eden Project, we're proud to show off the best of our network, demonstrating that there’s more to explore with Great Western Railway." 

Ben Tollett, group executive creative director, adam&eveDDB, added, “After nine years of high-octane adventures with the Famous Five and GWR, we decided to slow things down a bit with a tender and heart-warming love story. Then we threw in a bunch of high-octane chase scenes for good measure.”

Zoe Bond, client lead, the7stars said, “This campaign is a brilliant example of how our planning neutrality and independent thinking helps make the sum bigger than the individual parts. All our activation teams have helped craft an exciting plan. Then specialisms across data enrichment, tech, our bespoke Prospero programmatic offering and Supernova partnerships have been involved to make the latest Famous Five adventure unmissable.”