Eurostar have a heritage of great advertising. Over the years, they’ve produced bold, sometimes controversial and often very funny takes on the British-French relationship that celebrated the closeness of the two countries. Their writing was often characterised by a playful mashing up of the two languages, that bought the trainline’s literal connection of France and Britain to life.
Then in 2023, Eurostar merged with Thalys, to create the Eurostar Group. Now the Eurostar is not just a train line between London and Paris: it’s a network that covers most of mainland Europe. So they needed a voice that was bigger than just the relationship between France and Britain.
DesignStudio had worked on a new look and brand personality for the brand. We set about turning it into a voice – one that could inspire a love of European travel, be a bold champion for the rail, and make journeys smoother and simpler. It also had to work in several languages.
We wanted to create a voice that would guide you as simply and smoothly as a train ride, taking you to where you need to be with ease – and making it a little bit fun along the way.
With a bold new look and a friendly, simple approach to its communication (not to mention a hugely expanded rail network) Eurostar looks set to usher in a new golden age of rail travel. And with international train travel having a 95% smaller carbon footprint than flying, that’s something we should all welcome.