Glide into work!

CreativeRace, a leading marketing and creative agency based in Leeds, proudly announces its recent partnership with Northern Trains on an innovative TV advert which launched earlier this month.

The project included storyboarding and illustrative embellishments, signalling a step change in creative development for Northern’s brand platform, Go Do Your Thing.

The creative brief was to showcase the many possibilities on its network and communicate the quality of the Northern service, building brand trust and increasing appeal for train travel versus the car.

"Why Northern" and "Why Trains" were key questions to explore as part of the strategy and, with TV offering reach and building the most emotional trust with audiences, it was time for Northern to seed more leisure trips and a better way to get into work for the year ahead.
Oliver Osborne, Head of Creative at CreativeRace, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating: "Working with Northern Trains on this project has been an incredible journey. Our team has poured their creativity and expertise into every detail, from the initial concept to the final execution. We are proud to have played a role in bringing Northern Trains' vision to life, and we believe this TV advert will move the North into taking more journeys by train."
CreativeRace partnered with esteemed director Amy Becker Burnett who took the scripts and storyboards to a whole new level. Amy is passionate about interesting characters and unique perspectives, often working with real people and taking a progressive approach to casting. The advert was shot on location in Manchester and Blackpool to highlight key landmarks and stations in the North. The result is a visual and visceral feast, capturing the essence of Northern Trains' brand and customer base while providing a fresh and engaging perspective on the benefits of travelling by train.

Claire Rowland, Head of Sales and Marketing for Northern. commented:
"We're delighted with our partnership with CreativeRace for our latest TV ad, a cornerstone of our advertising. Over the past three years, Northern’s relentless focus on the customer and marketing has driven impressive revenue growth and community connections across the North, fostering both social value and economic growth in both the leisure and commuter markets. We hope it inspires customers, new and old, to explore the many possibilities on their doorstep and to try the train for work.”