Summary
Using football insight to encourage fans to take the train
Challenge
With France hosting Euro 2016, there was a huge opportunity for Eurostar to be the number one choice for fans looking to travel to matches from the UK.
And as Eurostar is not an official partner of the tournament, this positioning would have to be achieved without using any of the official branding.
Insight
To connect with football fans on more than just a price and destination level, the #DoingADennis campaign invited fans to act like a famous footballer from recent history, whose fear of flying meant he travelled by train to all European fixtures from his base in London.
This fun insight spoke directly to fans, and without identifying the player, demonstrated that Eurostar shared their passion and in-depth knowledge of the game, creating considerable brand warmth. It also gave fans a social media campaign they could be part of, using the hashtag to share images and stories of themselves Doing A Dennis in the buildup to the tournament.
#DoingADennis was supplied as a creative toolkit of assets which included a campaign logo highlighting the connectivity and convenience of Eurostar routes within France.
Results
The campaign helped to create momentum in the build up to tickets for the tournament going on sale. On release, Eurostar sold 26,000 tickets in less than a week.
“Clinic were the perfect choice for our Euro 2016 activity because of their knowledge and love for sport, particularly football. The #doingadennis campaign they created really positioned Eurostar as the best way to travel to the tournament, tapping into fans’ love for the game and their razor-sharp knowledge.”
Alex Hoyle,
Brand Manager, Eurostar