Great Western Railway’s "Five Get There First" campaign leverages the nostalgic appeal of the Famous Five to reposition train travel as a superior alternative to driving, emphasizing four core benefits: speed, sustainability, comfort, and social interaction. The campaign’s central narrative contrasts a chaotic, delayed car journey with a relaxed, scenic train trip, using humor and warmth to illustrate the tangible advantages of rail travel. This positions GWR not only as a practical transport choice but as an enjoyable travel experience that enhances leisure time, particularly in the context of post-pandemic recovery.
Strategically, the campaign taps into the enduring recognition of the Famous Five characters to evoke familiarity and emotional connection, bridging past and present travel experiences. It targets leisure travelers within the UK who may be weighing car versus train options for trips to the South West and South Wales—regions known for their scenic value. By highlighting the frustrations of road travel alongside the pleasure of train journeys, the campaign addresses common pain points such as traffic congestion and travel stress, reframing rail as the more sensible and enjoyable option.
The creative approach combines a 60-second TV ad with integrated out-of-home, digital, press, and influencer-led content, capitalizing on multi-channel engagement to reinforce the narrative. Influencer partnerships aiming to uncover “Hidden Gems” on the GWR network further deepen audience engagement by encouraging discovery and exploration beyond typical destinations, appealing to travelers seeking novel experiences. Overall, the campaign aligns with broader trends emphasizing sustainable transportation and experiential travel, using storytelling and familiar characters to shift perceptions and drive preference toward rail travel.
FORMAT#4 CONTRAST WITH THE COMPETITION — Explicitly compares the product to competitors to show superiority.
This campaign unmistakably centers on a direct and humorous contrast between train travel (GWR) and car travel, placing two groups—the Famous Five children on the train and Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny in their car—on a parallel journey to the beach. The car journey is filled with comical mishaps and discomfort, while the train journey is depicted as smooth, pleasurable, and superior in speed, comfort, and sociability. The payoff is the adults’ vow to opt for the train next time, making the comparison explicit and the core of the campaign’s creative device. This structure fits the “Contrast with the Competition” format over others, as the narrative and visual cues hinge on demonstrating GWR’s superiority by directly juxtaposing it with car travel, rather than simply telling a story, focusing on the benefit, or relying on a recurring character device alone.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Avanti West Coast – Market Positioning
Avanti West Coast positions itself as the premium high-speed rail operator on the West Coast Main Line, emphasizing speed, convenience, and connectivity between major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. It differentiates with modern trains, business-class services, and a focus on corporate and long-distance leisure travelers seeking efficiency and comfort.
2. LNER (London North Eastern Railway) – Market Positioning
LNER targets passengers traveling along the East Coast Main Line, promoting speed, luxury, and sustainability. It highlights its award-winning onboard services, direct city-center links, and commitment to reducing carbon emissions. LNER appeals primarily to business travelers and tourists who value premium experiences between London, Edinburgh, and key northern cities.
3. South Western Railway – Market Positioning
South Western Railway focuses on commuter and regional travel across London, South West England, and parts of Hampshire and Dorset. It emphasizes frequent services, affordability, and connectivity to major commuter hubs, aiming to provide reliable daily travel solutions for city workers and local travelers, with ongoing investment in fleet modernization and customer service.
4. TransPennine Express – Market Positioning
TransPennine Express operates intercity services across the North of England and Scotland, positioning itself as the fastest and most convenient option linking key northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. It promotes modern trains, digital innovation, and a network designed to boost business and leisure travel within the Northern Powerhouse region.
5. CrossCountry – Market Positioning
CrossCountry specializes in long-distance cross-country routes connecting regional cities with a focus on broad geographic coverage rather than London-centric travel. It differentiates through extensive reach, offering direct services linking the South West, the Midlands, and Scotland, appealing to travelers seeking flexible journeys without switching operators, prioritizing connectivity over speed or luxury.
Q: What is Five Get There First about?
A: Five Get There First is a 2023 integrated campaign created by adam&eveDDB for Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom. The campaign revives the Famous Five characters in their fourth outing since 2020 to promote train travel over car journeys. Central to the campaign is a 60-second TV advert that contrasts a chaotic, delayed car trip with a smooth, scenic train journey to the beach, highlighting the benefits of rail travel. The campaign also includes out-of-home, digital, press, and influencer content to encourage leisure travel across GWR’s South West and South Wales network.
Q: What creative device does Five Get There First use?
A: Five Get There First employs the FORMAT#4 CONTRAST WITH THE COMPETITION creative device as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This technique explicitly compares Great Western Railway’s train travel to car travel by placing the Famous Five children on a relaxed train journey alongside Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny’s chaotic car trip. The humorous and warm narrative highlights the superiority of train travel in speed, comfort, sustainability, and socialising, making the direct comparison the core creative mechanism rather than relying solely on storytelling or character familiarity.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Five Get There First?
A: The campaign proposition for Five Get There First positions Great Western Railway as the superior travel choice for leisure trips by emphasizing four key benefits: speed, sustainability, comfort, and social interaction. Targeting UK leisure travelers considering car versus train travel to the South West and South Wales, the campaign uses the nostalgic Famous Five to evoke emotional connection while addressing common frustrations of road travel. It aims to reframe rail travel as a more enjoyable and sensible option, particularly in the post-pandemic context where experiential and sustainable travel are increasingly valued.
Q: How does Five Get There First rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Five Get There First holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 72/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance within the travel and leisure category. The rating is issued by Clapboard as the authoritative curator of advertising work, indicating the campaign’s standing based on its strategic storytelling, multi-channel integration, and effective use of a well-known intellectual property.
Q: Who are the competitors in Great Western Railway's category?
A: Great Western Railway competes with several key rail operators in the UK travel sector. Avanti West Coast positions itself as a premium high-speed service focusing on major cities like London and Manchester with business-class comfort. LNER emphasizes speed, luxury, and sustainability on the East Coast Main Line, targeting business and tourist travelers. South Western Railway serves commuter and regional markets with frequent, affordable services around London and the South West. TransPennine Express offers fast intercity connections across northern England and Scotland, prioritizing convenience and digital innovation. CrossCountry specializes in long-distance routes with broad geographic coverage, appealing to travelers seeking flexible journeys without focusing on speed or luxury.
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