Eurostar launched TV advertising campaign to showcase the quirky, vibrant and humorous sides of Paris and London

London, UK, 2013-10-21— /travelprnews.com/ — Eurostar, working with AMV BBDO and Arena, will launch a new TV advertising campaign from Sunday 20 October, which will showcase the quirky, vibrant and humorous sides of Paris and London and the different experiences travellers can enjoy when they visit these cities.

Titled ‘Maybe’, the campaign features two separate adverts, one of which focuses on Paris, which will air in the UK, and one that focuses on London for the French and Belgian markets. Each of the adverts has a similar look and feel and shows an unexpected side of the cities through striking and witty imagery and footage of real people and places. Both adverts close with the line ‘stories are waiting’, and invite to people to take their own Eurostar journey and create their own stories and memories.

The Director, Simon Ratigan, acted as a “conductor”, sending photographers and cameramen out onto the streets of Paris and London to capture real life people and events in unusual and interesting locations, as the team set about capturing any scene that caught their attention.

A mix of media has been planned by Arena, to showcase the creative to its best effect. The ‘Maybe’ campaign will be amplified through Eurostar’s own advertising platforms, social media channels, customer emails and onboard customer magazine, Metropolitan. Traditional platforms such as TV and cinema will run alongside engaging interactive ad units on VOD platforms, allowing users to find out more about the unexpected side of Paris. From Saturday 19 October, Eurostar will ask its passengers to share stories and pictures from Paris and London via its social media channels for the chance to feature within a re-edit of the adverts, which will appear towards the end of the year. Arena has also worked with a variety of relevant bloggers to share their Paris experiences. The social media activation will be run by AMV in the UK and CLM BBDO in France and Belgium.

Lionel Benbassat, Director of Marketing and Brand at Eurostar, said: “Paris and London are two of the most loved cities in the world, and through this campaign we want to remind people about the amazing experiences people can have when they travel to these vibrant cities. Travel opens up a world of possibilities through meeting people, discovering places and sharing new experiences, and we hope that these adverts will inspire people to book their next trip and bring back amazing stories.”

Ian Pearman, CEO at AMV BBDO commented: “Eurostar as a brand is in a class of its own and deserves the best creative work. With this ‘Maybe’ campaign we are aiming to build an even stronger, more unified emotional connection between travellers and the brand. AMV BBDO are delighted to be part of this next chapter in the Eurostar story.”

30”, 60” and 90” versions of the Paris ‘Maybe’ advert will run from Sunday 20 October for six weeks across national TV and online media in the UK.
Beatrice Boue, Managing Partner at Arena, commented: “This was a really rich and integrated campaign born out of true consumer insight and it was key that the media worked hand in hand with the arresting creative. The blend of media channels was important – as well as TV, cinema and interactive ads on VOD platforms, we’ve developed a social stream and have worked alongside bloggers to ensure the campaign is supported by authentic Paris moments, allowing people to see the city through many people’s eyes.”
The London version of the advert will launch on TV on the 21 October in Belgium and on the 23 October in French cinemas.

For more information about Eurostar’s new ‘Maybe’ advertising campaign visit www.eurostar.com from Saturday 19 October.

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Notes to Editors

CREDITS

Creative Agency:

AMV BBDO

Copywriter:

Alex Grieve

Art Director:

Adrian Rossi

Agency Planner:

Craig Mawdsley

Agency Account Manager:

Tom Shattock, Emily Atkinson

TV Producer:

Anita Sasdy

Media Agency:

Arena

Media Planner:

Beatrice Boue

Production Company:

HLA

Director:

Simon Ratigan

Photographer:

Matt Stuart

Production Co. Producer:

Mike Wells

Post-production Company:

The Mill

Audio Post-production:

Wave Sound

About Eurostar 
1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
2. Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways).  On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR.
3. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph.  Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 130 million passengers between London and the Continent.
4. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
5. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies.  Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

For more information about Eurostar please contact:
Eurostar Press Office  
020 7843 5500
press.office@eurostar.com

About AMV BBDO

  1. AMV BBDO is the UK’s largest advertising agency and has been ranked number one agency by Nielsen for the last 16 consecutive years.
  2. AMV employs well over 400 people and works across 85 brands including BlackBerry, Guinness, BT, Aviva, PepsiCo and Camelot and has one simple aim with all of them: to help solve their business challenge with creative ideas that change the competitive landscape.
  3. AMV works across all media producing award-winning work in TV, Print, Radio, Experiential and Online.  AMV is part of the BBDO network, the third largest Agency network in the world, with 288 offices across 80 countries.
  4. AMV was the most awarded agency in the UK  in 2012 (Gunn Report, Big Won) and currently holds Agency Of The Year positions for both APG Strategy and IPA Effectiveness as well as the Inaugural Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2011.
  5. The agency was recently ranked 17 in Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For 2012.

For more information about AMV BBDO please contact:
Vicky Allard, 
Communications Director at AMV BBDO
020 7616 3626

About Arena

  1. Founded in 1990, Arena is a fully integrated media planning and buying agency. Arena is the UK operation of the Arena Network, the fastest growing division of Havas.
  2. In the UK the agency has a team of 145, with a senior management team who have worked together at the agency for over 10 years. Arena has been growing steadily in recent years, with billings increasing by over 40% in the last year.
  3. Long-term clients include Domino’s Pizza, LG and Eurostar.

For further information about Arena please contact: 
Edwina Boyd-Gibbins at Pumpkin
020 7287 2007
Edwina@pumpkin.uk.com