All aboard the hype train: Avanti West Coast launches new Shoutout Service

• Shoutout Service offers chance to surprise friends and loved ones with a personalised onboard announcement
• Comedian Axel Blake takes over onboard announcements with hilarious and heartwarming shoutouts for unsuspecting customers
• Launch comes as research reveals 77 percent of adults say life’s little wins should be celebrated more often

Avanti West Coast has launched its new Shoutout Service, giving people the chance to celebrate friends and loved ones with a personalised announcement onboard its trains.

Unsuspecting customers received a surprise when comedian and Britain’s Got Talent winner, Axel Blake, took over onboard announcements to deliver a series of celebratory shoutouts, marking the launch of intercity operator’s feel-good activity.  

Recognising occasions ranging from milestone birthdays and career achievements to the little victories that might go unnoticed, Axel brought his signature humour to the announcements as he officially kicked off the initiative.

There was plenty for Axel to celebrate onboard the journey to Manchester with a 21^st birthday, to two friends marking seven years of friendship. Axel also helped mark touching moments, as one husband thanked his wife for helping to get his business off the ground.

A special announcement for one traveller called Conor whose friends revealed he falls in love with every girl he meets proved shoutouts do not have to be a big life event. 

The Shoutout Service has been created to help customers feel special while travelling across the West Coast Main Line, supporting Avanti West Coast’s ambition to make journeys more personal and memorable.

The launch comes as research* reveals Britian is a nation of secret achievers, with almost three quarters admitting they have felt proud of an achievement but kept it to themselves.

Nearly half say they have achieved something they felt deserved recognition but never celebrated, while 64 percent admit to playing down their own accomplishments.

The nation’s famously reserved nature extends to celebrating others too. Six in ten admit they find it difficult to tell someone they are proud of them, despite almost four in five adults agreeing that even a small gesture of recognition can make their day.

Research reveals the appetite for celebration is clear. More than three quarters of adults believe more effort should be made to celebrate life’s little wins, while 71 percent feel there is not enough positive news day-to-day.

Personal accomplishments, from facing a fear to trying something new, are considered just as worthy of a shoutout as big life events such as a promotion, wedding or milestone birthday. More than two thirds of people say stepping outside your comfort zone deserves recognition, while 65 percent would celebrate someone overcoming a fear.

Everyday wins should also be acknowledged. More than half of British adults think remembering someone’s birthday without a reminder is worth celebrating, while 44 percent say keeping a houseplant alive is an achievement. Even going a day without a takeaway merits some recognition, according to 39 percent.

Speaking about the Shoutout Service, Axel said: “I had such a laugh doing this. You never really know how people are going to react when they hear their name announced to a whole train, but everyone was such a good sport. We had everything from birthdays to a husband giving his wife a proper thank you, and then there was Conor, who apparently falls in love with every girl he meets! But that’s what I love about shoutouts. It doesn’t have to be some massive achievement to be worth celebrating. Sometimes it’s just nice to let someone know you appreciate them, and if you can give them a laugh at the same time, even better.”

Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “There’s something lovely about celebrating someone when they least expecting it. Whether it’s a birthday, a new job or a small personal achievement, those moments deserve to be recognised. We know many of our customers are travelling for an important occasion, and we want to help make those moments even more memorable by sharing their stories.

“The Shoutout Service is all about bringing a little more joy to the journey and making our customers feel special. We’re delighted to have Axel onboard to help launch the service and cannot wait to hear the moments our customers want to celebrate.”

To nominate a friend, family member, partner or colleague to receive a personalised announcement, visit: www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/ShoutoutService, share who you would like to celebrate, what they have achieved and when they will be travelling with Avanti West Coast. Selected shoutouts could then be announced onboard, giving someone special a memorable surprise.

ENDS