BLM Media wins £2m GNER brief

Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) has appointed BLM Media to its &£2m media planning and buying business.

The statutory review was called last November when the company’s three-year contract with incumbent Pure Media came to an end. It is not known if other agencies pitched against BLM.

Last September the rail operator launched its first national television campaign, created by Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP), which has held the advertising account since March 2004. The TV ads were designed to attract business and leisure customers and focused on the company’s newly refitted fleet of trains – named after the famous Mallard steam locomotive. The new trains offer new facilities such as Wi-Fi access.

VCCP was originally appointed alongside the agency Heresy (MW March 18, 2004), but the account was consolidated into VCCP when Chime Communications became the owner of both agencies last July.

GNER also retains Tullo Marshall Warren as its direct marketing agency, appointed last April (MW April 28, 2004). The DM account had previously been held by Clark McKay & Walpole.

GNER runs East Coast services from King’s Cross to Yorkshire, the North-east and Scotland. It was awarded a new ten-year franchise by the Strategic Rail Authority last March, but is in talks with the Office of Rail Regulation about extra competition.