Avanti West Coast safety campaign scoops Marketing Week Award
Avanti West Coast honoured at Marketing Week Awards for inventive campaign based on behavioural science.
- Avanti West Coast celebrates win at the Marketing Week Awards
- Safety campaign based on behavioural science recognised in ‘Best use of market research, analytics and insight’ category
- Objects given human characteristics to get people’s attention at railway stations
An Avanti West Coast campaign that used behavioural science to help customers navigate railway stations safely has won a prestigious award.
The intercity operator celebrated a win at the Marketing Week Awards for its inventive ‘Take care. Get there.’ campaign, which personifies parts of station buildings using bespoke artwork to highlight how they improve safety.
Take care. Get there. was recognised in the ‘Best use of market research, analytics and insight’ category for its innovative approach.
The campaign was designed to raise awareness of features often neglected by customers to make it easier for those who may be unfamiliar with the station. It was created in response to research which found 84 percent of rail users admitting they take their luggage when using the stairs*.
To support this, Avanti West Coast’s in-house creative studio brought to life objects on station platforms and concourses using the psychological phenomenon ‘pareidolia’ – the understanding that humans are hardwired to pick out patterns, especially faces, from randomness.
This psychological insight came from Avanti West Coast’s work with behavioural scientist, Richard Shotton, who helped identify creative tools that would help influence customer behaviour.
The train operator also drew on research insight that direct language is easier to understand and light-heartedness would make key safety messages more memorable – improving the likelihood that customers would act on the advice being given.
Lifts, handrails and stairs feature on a series of eye-catching posters designed to resemble a face, alongside a speech bubble advising how the object can be used. This included lifts feeling empty without customers and their luggage, and handrails longing to be held.
This latest achievement is the second award Avanti West Coast has won for the initiative. Earlier this month it won the ‘Marketing Communications: Automotive and Transport’ category at the PRWeek Awards for its festive-themed element of the campaign – the launch of a low alcohol beer named ‘Safety Thirst’.
Jen Inglis, Head of Marketing at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re proud our Take care. Get there. campaign has been recognised for its inventiveness and creativity.
“Safety is a challenging topic. We wanted to turn what is conventionally seen as an unexciting message into something that customers not only pay attention to but also change their behaviour. Working with Richard Shotton helped us create a campaign that is distinctive, memorable and makes it easier for customers to navigate their way safely.”
ENDS
*Avanti West Coast surveyed 500 rail users in the UK about their behaviour in railway stations.
View the launch of the Take Care. Get There. campaign story here.
Contact Information
Lauren Haslam
Notes to editors
Main image: Avanti West Coast colleagues celebrate their win on stage at the Marketing Awards.
About Richard Shotton
Richard Shotton specialises in applying behavioural science to marketing. He has worked in marketing for 24 years and helps brands such as Google, Mondelez and Sky with their challenges. He is the author of The Choice Factory, a best-selling book available in 15 languages, which explains how behavioural science can solve business challenges. His latest book, The Illusion of Choice, came out in March 2023. In 2021 he became an associate of the Moller Institute, Churchill College, Cambridge University.
About Avanti West Coast
Avanti West Coast, operator of intercity rail services on the West Coast Main Line, is a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia, delivering a cleaner, greener railway that drives the West Coast forward. Avanti West Coast serves key UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow as well as North Wales.
We’re on a mission to be the transport of choice – connecting customers and communities along the West Coast. Our award-winning Pendolino refurbishment programme transformed the UK’s hardest working fleet with all 56 of the iconic trains providing best-in-class comfort.
Our Evero fleet, which offers more seats, improved comfort, and a substantial cut to carbon emissions, was introduced in June 2024 and is the result of a £350m investment in sustainable travel. Built by Hitachi, the 23-strong fleet, consisting of 10 seven-carriage electric trains and 13 five-carriage bi-modes, serves routes from London to the Midlands, Chester, North Wales and the North West.
We want to make a positive difference to the people and places we serve – helping to drive economic growth, green travel, and break down barriers. Our efforts to contribute to society and enable people to benefit from the opportunities rail offers through purpose-led initiatives including Feel Good Field Trips and award-winning female driver recruitment campaign has seen us create over £1billion in social value impact.
We’re tackling climate change wherever we can, from reducing energy and water use to training drivers in eco-driving techniques and sourcing food and drink from local suppliers. Our goal is to be net zero carbon by 2031. We’re on track.
For the latest news, visit the Avanti West Coast Media Centre: https://newsdesk.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Press Office: 0845 000 3333