Eurostar in ‘best kept secret’ viral campaign for Belgium

Enter alt description text hereEurostar is rolling out a viral marketing push as the latest element of an unbranded, cross-media campaign to encourage more Londoners to visit Brussels.

The wide-ranging marketing campaign includes press, outdoor and word-of-mouth initiatives, as well as online activity. All parts of the campaign direct users to a website, europesbestkeptsecret.com, which promotes Belgium as an ideal weekend-break destination. The viral push, which launches later this month, was developed by Glue London, the same agency that created the online advertising used in the campaign. Online media was bought by Diffiniti.

Eurostar advertising and media manager Vicky Anstey says the viral marketing will gradually build up over time, rather than be in the form of a “one-hit wonder”, adding that, “we want to drive traffic throughout the summer.”

The secretive nature of the campaign has been constructed to dispel the poor image that Belgium has in the UK. “The aim is to pull people in and get them interested initially,” says Anstey.

Eurostar is also testing the use of Bluetooth technology on outdoor posters for the first time. It is using the system on 15 sites around London, with a downloaded message also directing people to the microsite.

The word-of-mouth element has been developed by Space and is targeting 30,0000 commuters in major London train stations, with strangers approaching members of the public and pressing a leaflet into their hands.

The press and poster advertising was produced by TBWA/London, and media planning and buying was by Vizeum.