CrossCountry Trains takes to TV with McCann
CrossCountry Trains is launching its first ever TV campaign tomorrow, created by McCann Erickson Manchester. Watch the ad here.
The 'Switch' campaign aims to increase passenger numbers over the summer by communicating "the benefits of travelling by train".
It will target over 55s who want to enjoy enjoy life and see more of their families, friends and the countryside and students and young people who want to stay in contact with their friends during the summer.
The campaign focuses on a price message - highlighting savings of up to 75 percent on train fares by booking in advance - and the "convenience and ease" of rail travel over other forms of transport.
CrossCountry's Louise Blyth said: "By moving into TV, this provides us with an excellent opportunity to convey the benefits that train travel has to offer, especially when customers can save up to 75 percent when they book in advance."
The TV ad breaks tomorrow (18 June) on the ITV and Channel 4 networks. It will be followed by CRM, radio, press, PR and social media activity over the next eight weeks - and the TV ad will also feature on video on demand services.
McCann claims the campaign will reach 10m consumers.
Andy Moffitt, managing partner at McCann Manchester, said: "We are really excited to have created CrossCountry’s first TV ad which forms part of a truly integrated campaign to drive the Switch message this summer.
"This campaign has been created to utilise the savings message that can be enjoyed within the current climate, especially as more people choose to holiday at home rather than going away this year."
CrossCountry appointed McCann Manchester as its lead creative agency in January, when the account moved from Midlands-based Cogent Elliott. The PR account followed in March when it moved from Manchester's Citypress.
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Where's the CrossCountry USP? It may well reach 10m consumers but what are they going to take out of this communication that they've not seen or heard before?
Virgin Train's campaign leaves this looking well and truly sad and uninspiring.
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"We are really excited to have created CrossCountry’s first TV ad".
Surely you should only be excited if it's creative and memorable as that's what connects and drives sales. I'm not sure this will do either.
Being a regular train user I go, as do millions of other people, to trainline.com. That's a search engine as it gives you the best prices, journey and times for all trains including CrossCountry. Very functional and rational.
CC therefore could have taken a more emotional route (no pun intended) as trains connect people, they get you out for days and train journeys take in some wonderful countryside, which is what your over 55's love.
So to engage stay-at-home-Britain perhaps tapping into this would have been better than putting all your efforts into getting the client to go on TV for the first time.
Just my opinion and not anonymous. Don't you just hate that button?
I think the Virgin Train's work is terrific without actually having much of a USP. Great music, casting and some very funny touches. It just makes you feel good about the brand. There we are, no negative comments for you to delete....
I too got deleted yesterday for calling this ad a shocker. If that's the criterion, I think someone at The Drum will be working through lunch on the delete button.
I've also been deleted for expressing a view that work could be better.
Who's making the call on what's offensive?
Anyone involved with a piece of work will almost certainly view anything other than glorious praise as offensive.
Surely as long as the language used isn't offensive or post is overly personal, it shouldn't be censored.
I got deleted for asking if Chamilia was an STD :(
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The website looks a lot better than the tired-looking competition and the website is central to the straight-forward, easy to understand ad. Job done isn't it?
I agree, the search engine is poor. I'll stick with Virgin trains thanks.
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if you took this out:
It will target over 55s who want to enjoy enjoy life and see more of their families, friends and the countryside and students and young people who want to stay in contact with their friends during the summer.
the ad would be good. it's just a good simple driver to the website. slickly done - yeah yeah not as good as virgin but i doubt the budget would have been as big too. it wont win awards but it might get bums in carriages...
Why am I being deleted for saying this ad is a waste of money?
it is, it is totally banal and unwatchable.
re: mark taylor's job done quote.
no, job isn't done. people don't watch adverts. you have to make them watch.
that involves having an idea, not showing wallpaper.
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