Great Western Railway invites audiences to rediscover famous myths and legends

The campaign, created by adam&eve\TBWA continues the train operator's long running visually stunning animated Famous Five platform

By Creative Salon

23 February 2026

Great Western Railway (GWR) unveils a new campaign that brings its rich heritage into the present day, reigniting audience appeal through the timeless power of myths and storytelling.

The new chapter of its award-winning Famous Five series, created with adam&eve\TBWA, draws inspiration from GWR’s 1920s publicity campaigns, when the company first used myths and legends to promote travel to an emerging tourism market.

By unearthing this storied archive, GWR reconnects modern leisure travellers with the myths, legends and landscapes that have long defined the region - reframing rail not simply as transport, but as the beginning of adventure.

The multi-channel campaign begins on February 21st with a 60-second hero film directed by Oscar-and BAFTA-winning director and animator Peter Baynton, best known for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and packed with vocal talent from the likes of Richard E Grant, Ambika Mod, Andi Osho and Jan Francis.

‘Five and the Dragon Quest’ film aims to boost leisure travel on the GWR network, which covers the south-west of England and Wales, including destinations like Cardiff, Penzance, Bath and Oxford.

It follows the Famous Five on their quest across the Great Western Railway network, determined to solve the mystery of a dragon which has been spotted flying in the skies across the region. Unsurprisingly, the train is the quickest way to get around – much better than the cars that all seem to be stuck in traffic jams. It ends with the tagline: “Great Western Railway – legendary adventures start here.”

With a new media approach from WPP Media’s Mindshare, the campaign is designed as a connected storytelling ecosystem. The hero film runs across cinema, TV and VOD to deliver scale and emotional impact, while dynamic radio executions delve deeper into regional folklore, bringing local legends to life in the listener’s imagination.

Out-of-home placements situate the Famous Five within landscapes tied to the very myths they explore, creating contextual relevance across the network. A broad social rollout extends the narrative through bespoke vignette films, spotlighting specific legends and destinations to ignite inspiration for leisure travel among distinct audience cohorts.

In the most integrated approach yet, the GWR in-house communications team working with VCCP Roar, will also continue to bring more activity to life as the campaign period progresses.

Amanda Burns, Sales & Marketing Director, Great Western Railway, said: "This campaign shows the Famous Five still have plenty of legendary adventures to share. The best storytelling doesn’t just entertain – it sparks curiosity and inspires people to explore.

"The campaign is rooted in the myths and legends of the South West and Wales - the very communities our railway has connected for generations.

“We’re celebrating the character of the regions we serve and bringing those stories to a new audience, who we know have a significant and widespread interest in myths and legends.”

Ben Tollet, Group Executive Creative Director, adam&eve\TBWA, said: “The Famous Five are brought bang up to date with this foray into fantasy fiction. Can four children and a dog save the nation from a rampaging mythical beast? Highly unlikely. Unless, of course, they get some help from Great Western Railway.”

WPP Media’s Mindshare’s Fleur Stoppani, added: “Our approach was to meet audiences in the moments they’re most open to inspiration - from the immersive impact of cinema to the trusted weekend paper and the contextual power of out-of-home. By aligning channel strengths with storytelling, we’ve created a journey that moves people emotionally and commercially.”

GWR launched the Famous Five ‘Adventures Start Here’ in 2017. It recently won an award for ‘Long Term Thinking’ from APG and was a finalist in the Sustained Success category at the 2025 Effie UK Awards.

Credits

Client: Great Western Railway

Brand: Great Western Railway

Project/Campaign Name:

First Air Date: 21st February 2026

Amanda Burns – Sales & Marketing Director GWR

Helen da Costa – Head of Marketing GWR

Chloë Ravat – Senior Marketing Manager GWR

Amy Davies – Marketing Executive GWR

Agency: adam&eve\TBWA

Creative:

Ben Tollett – Group Executive Creative Director

Ben Polkinghorne – Creative Director

Christian Sewell + Andy Mcananey – Creative Directors

Production:

Charlotte Ellison – Agency Producer

Nicola Applegate – Agency Producer

Anna-Louise Vass – Radio Producer

Omnicom Production Studios

Richard Bailey - producer
Annabelle DelaCruz, Marc Dolby & Tony Hutton - Artworkers

Jon Webb - Retouching

Planning:

Will Grundy - Chief Executive Officer

Sarah Carter – Global Planning Partner

Matilda Treloar – Senior Planner

Account Management:

Miranda Hipwell – Chief Executive Officer

Jo Lorimer – Managing Partner

Ewen Whyte – Business Director

Renee James – Account Director

Minty Moore – Account Manager

Project Management:

Charmaine Balay – Senior Project Manager

Legal:

Candice Macleod – General Counsel

Tom Campbell – Senior Legal Counsel

Florence Chui – Paralegal

Business affairs:

Emely Eshebly – Senior Business Affairs Manager

Danni Rouse – Business Affairs Manager

Design:

Paul Knowles – Head of Design

Carl Warren – Senior Designer

Will Wittington – Designer

Production company: Not To Scale

Director: Peter Baynton

Founder / Executive Producer: Dan O'Rourke

Head of Production / Executive Producer: Maud Beckers

Producer: Sarah Butterworth

Production Manager: Neama Batichi

Art Direction by: Peter Baynton & Kevin Roulland
Background Artist: Kevin Roulland

Background Artist: Bruno Mayor

Background Artist: Tonet Dura

Background Artist: Tania Kerins

Background Artist: Alex Holman

Storyboard Artist: Peter Baynton & Fabrice Hagmann

2D Layout Artist: Farad Chams

2D Anim. Key Poses: Andrea Minella

2D Lead Animator: Katherine Spangenberg

2D Animator: Natasha Pollack

2D Animator: Joe Hick

2D Animator: Lisa Sullivan

2D Animator: Gerry Gellago

2D Animator: Judit Boor

2D FX Artist: Frankie Swann

Character Design 2D: Kristian Antonelli

Clean Up Artist: Margarita Rojas

Clean Up Artist: Eva Marin Tabuenca

Clean Up Artist: Canela Bosco

Editor: Gus Herdman

3D & COMPOSITING: Melt Studios

CG Creative Director: Javier Verdugo
Head of Production: Olaia Casal
CG & VFX Producer: Anna Gispert
CG & VFX Coordinator: Marta Silva
3D Modeller: Abner Marin
Lighting Artist: Kiko Navarro
Lighting Artist: Oriol Domenech
3D Animator: Hugo García
3D Animator: Alan Carabantes
3D Animator: Sauce Vilas
3D Animator: Rodrigo Torres
Rigging Artist: Llorenç Borràs
Rigging Artist: Minimo VFX
2D Lead Compositing: Gloria Bernabeu
Compositing Artist: Juan Listello
Compositing Artist: Xevi Polo
Compositing Artist: Roberto García
Colorist: Xavi Santolaya
VFX Editor: Celia Caparrós
Technical Director: Xavi Tribó
IT: Washington Neira/ Oriol Viñolas