Eurostar breaks the TV advertising mould
Eurostar will split the TV screen during the whole of a commercial break, in the first campaign of its kind linking other advertisers in a joint promotion.
The move is the first instance of Eurostar tying up with other brands, an initiative promised after its takeover by London & Continental Railways earlier this year.
The Eurostar marketing department is headed by Mark Furlong of Virgin, which has a stake in L&CR. Furlong worked with marketing director of Virgin Cola James Kydd on the scheme.
The campaign launches on Friday June 29. In each of the three ads within the commercial break the bottom third of the screen repeatedly features a high-speed Eurostar train, while the top two-thirds remains as normal.
The first ad will be for Virgin Cola, the second for travel sickness remedy Immodium and the third a newly-created commercial that will explain Trains, Planes and Automobiles, as the creative work is called.
The ads have been devised by St Luke’s. They are in support of a promotion with Virgin Cola and Virgin Lips, offering special deals on Virgin Atlantic Airways and the Eurostar service. The commercials will run during peak-time shows such as Coronation Street and Brookside.