At The Foot Of The Slopes

Background

For Belgians, it's easy to go skiing thanks to Thalys and its Skihost service. Every Saturday from 22 December through to 5 April, Thalys makes a run departing from Brussels and Antwerp to great ski resorts in the French Alps (eg Chambery, Alberville and Moutiers). However, there has been no advertising about the Ski Train for more than ten years, so Thalys needed to find the best way to convey the message that it is THE solution to get from Belgium to the Alps or vice-versa in less than five hours.

Idea

In order to attract the attention of as many people as possible the agency decided to evoke the world of snow and skiing at the rail stations, giving commuters a potential preview of their next ski holiday. Thalys stands at the stations were fitted with photo booths in which passengers could get their photo taken in front of a neutral background. The photo could then be printed on the spot, showing the passenger ‘on’ a ski lift amid a mountain landscape, and inserted into a branded ski-pass holder.

Stand hostesses also handed out branded lip-balm sticks and flyers using the familiar design of the slope maps found at ski resorts that showed the route taken by the Ski Train. Posters bearing the same design were also positioned around the station. Likewise, ‘Ski trompe-l’oeil’ floorstickers were stuck to the station floor, allowing passengers to ‘try on’ skis for themselves. The campaign was continued online with banners and emails.

Results

Not yet available.

Target Audience

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Our Thoughts

The bit I like here is the activity in the railway station. Having your photo taken as if you're on the slopes and then slotted it into your 'skipass holder' is an involving way of dramatising the proposition: "with Thalys, you're already in the foothills of the Alps". SH