This Levitating Man Proves Why You Can Always Relax When Travelling with National Express

A guaranteed seat, plenty of legroom, frequent services, lower carbon emissions, more money saved, zero threat of ending up in a remote budget airport car park or being levitated by ancient artefacts. For the savvy traveller, there are loads of reasons why travelling by National Express is where it’s at, and Lucky Generals is driving this message home for the UK’s leading coach operator.

In its first work since winning the account last year, Lucky Generals has created a truly 360-degree campaign for National Express, designed to encourage a modal shift and drive people to make the smarter, greener and greater value choice of choosing National Express over other means of transport. If they do, they become savvy travellers and join the millions of National Express customers who are already 'in the know’. Because, if you know, you know. And, ‘if you know, you go National Express’.  

The new platform has informed much more than the advertising campaign and runs across the entire business at multiple touchpoints. The line will appear on the sides of coaches but also in activations across the company, from headrest copy that says “Someone in the know has reserved this seat” to drivers sharing their top insider tips at the end destination and revamps of the customer email programme and coach station media.

The platform will launch with two 30-second films showcasing the brand’s key features, both ending with a more humorous take at the expense of those poor travellers who didn't take a National Express coach. The work will also include social, dynamic audio, OOH, digital OOH, online and for the first time, cinema advertising.

The first film shows a family relaxing on a National Express coach journey. Their savvy choice not only allows them to choose a better way to travel but also gives them the insight and foresight to avoid the harmful gaze of an ancient museum exhibit, knowledge a non-National Express traveller who ends up being levitated in a museum doesn't have. 

In the second film two comfortable, stress-free National Express customers know that budget airport parking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, with the action switching to an icy wasteland with two annoyed and freezing car drivers stranded miles from the airport. Both ads end with the new brand line: if you know, you go National Express.

The out-of-home, digital, and social part of the campaign uses the iconic white, blue and red National Express coaches which are such a familiar sight driving through towns and cities across the UK. The coach side is the background for messaging such as “You don’t have to stand for this. Unlike the train, a ticket guarantees a seat” and “Easy to your jet. Airport services right to the terminal door.”

Catherine Woolfe, customer and marketing director at National Express, said, “There are already millions of savvy travellers who know how great coach travel is with National Express, but there are many, many more who are realising that other modes of public transport are not what they are cracked up to be and are looking for a reliable, economical, sustainable and relaxing way to travel – and we want them to know that National Express is the smart way to go.”

“We love Lucky Generals’ brand platform because it is grounded in a strong and simple strategic thought that can translate across our entire business, from rethinking our web journey to changing the tone of voice used in our contact centre and how our drivers interact with our customers. The team at Lucky Generals really get what’s important about our Brand and as such, they are brilliant people to work with, trusted partners who have quickly developed an innate understanding of our business.”

Lucky Generals’ creative directors, Nick Bird and Lee Smith, said, “As trains continue to strike and charge through the roof, and prices at the petrol pump never seem to come down, what better time to show people a savvier way to travel with National Express - a national icon that’s been quietly doing its thing for years, and now it’s time for us to help them make a bit of well-deserved noise.”

Lucky Generals client partner David Mannall, added, “People don’t realise what they are missing out on with National Express. With Wi-Fi and reclining seats, USB charging points and guaranteed seats - it’s not an experience that’s anything like school coach trips or rail replacement services - as the existing loyal customer base know very well.”

Olivia Bush, client lead at T&Pm said, “We’re looking forward to showcasing the many benefits of coach travel from ‘those who know’ across a multi-channel media campaign.”