GWR’s Famous Five Race to Uncover Hidden UK Gems in ‘A Thrilling Engagement’

Great Western Railway (GWR) is inviting passengers to explore hidden gems across its network with 'A Thrilling Engagement', the latest chapter in its Famous Five series. As spring arrives and days grow longer, GWR is shining a light on lesser-known destinations and unique activities, encouraging more people to embrace leisure travel by train.

Building on one of Britain’s most enduring creative platforms, this new instalment continues to capture the spirit of adventure, showcasing the excitement of discovering new places with GWR.

Adam&eveDDB’s multi-channel campaign kicks off with a hero 60-second spot, directed by Oscar and BAFTA-winning director Peter Baynton (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse). The film is produced by the acclaimed film and animation studio Not to Scale.

Amanda Burns, sales and marketing director, GWR said: "The Famous Five campaigns have proved a huge success, so we’re excited to bring the much-loved characters back for another adventure, showcasing some of the UK's best spots, accessible by GWR. This campaign highlights the joy and comfort of train travel and the unique experiences GWR unlocks. From great landmarks like the Royal Albert Hall to Cornwall's Eden Project, we're proud to show off the best of our network, demonstrating that there’s more to explore with Great Western Railway."

‘The Famous Five’s Thrilling Engagement’ combines an emotive love story with a frantic chase, as the Famous Five race around the network to return a missing engagement ring. The ad shines a spotlight on exciting leisure activities across the region: from hot air ballooning in Bristol, to the delights of Cornwall’s Eden Project, boating in Henley and fine-dining in London. Unsurprisingly, the train is the quickest way to get around; much better than the cars that all seem to be stuck in traffic jams.

Ben Tollett, group ECD, adam&eveDDB, added: “After nine years of high-octane adventures with the Famous Five and GWR, we decided to slow things down a bit with a tender and heart-warming love story. Then we threw in a bunch of high-octane chase scenes for good measure.”

Accompanying the film is a fully integrated campaign across cinema, OOH, social, digital and display, as well as a partnership with Global Radio. The wider campaign continues to highlight unexpected destinations and activities including ziplining at the Eden Project, lighthouse climbing in Plymouth, enjoying a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall and surfing in Wales.

Zoe Bond, client lead, the7stars: “This campaign is a brilliant example of how our planning neutrality and independent thinking helps make the sum bigger than the individual parts. All our activation teams have helped craft an exciting plan. Then specialisms across data enrichment, tech, our bespoke Prospero programmatic offering and Supernova partnerships have been involved to make the latest Famous Five adventure unmissable.”

Credits

Advertiser/Brand: Great Western Railway (GWR)

Project/Campaign name: The Famous Five’s Thrilling Engagement

Client: GWR

Sales & Marketing Director: Amanda Burns

Head of Marketing: Helen da Costa Senior

Marketing Manager: Chloë Ravat

Marketing Executive: Amy Davies

Creative Agency: adam&eveDDB

CEO: Miranda Hipwell

Chief Creative Officers: Ant Nelson & Mike Sutherland

Chief Strategy Officer: Will Grundy

Group Executive Creative Director: Ben Tollett

Creative Director: Ben Polkinghorne

Agency Producer: Charlotte Ellison

Agency Producer: Anna-Louise Vass

Global Planning Partner: Sarah Carter

Senior Planner: Matilda Treloar

Project Manager: Rachel Brown

Managing Partner: Fraser Thomson

Business Director: Loella Collier

Account Director: Renee James

Account Director: Estella Mosca

Business Affairs: Layla Husted & Danni Rouse

Legal: Candice Mcleod, Tom Campbell, Florence Chiu

adam&evestudios

Account Manager: Hannah Mould

Senior Account Director: Hannah Motaln

Senior Graphic/Print Producer: Tony Hutton

Head of QC: Stuart Moore

Senior QC Operator: Chloe Maudsley

Digital Producer: Matt Walker

Digital Design Director: Mauricio Brandt

Digital Design Director: Adrian Baker

Digital Design Director: Sam Butler

Developer: Max Mcleod

Developer: Daniel Lewis

Senior Integrated Designer: Simon Minns

Producer: Dylan Pugh

Junior Editor: Yasmine Lahouag

Senior Producer: Chloe Saunders

Design & Retouch: King Henry Studios

Designer: Paul Knowles

Artworker: Dave Callow

Retouching: Gemma Lawton & Jon Webb

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: Bruno Mayor, Adrian Garcia

Background Artist: Bruno Mayor

Background Artist: Tonet Dura

Background Artist: Po Sing

Background Artist: Mike McCain

Storyboard Artist: Tim Dillnutt

2D Animator: Andy McColl McPherson

2D Animator: Robert Milne

2D Anim. Key Poses: Andrea Minella

Animator: Katherine Spangenberg

Animator: Natasha Pollack

Animator: Joe Hick

Animator: Lisa Sullivan 2D FX

Artist: Frankie Swann

Character Design 2D: Kristian Antonelli

Clean Up Artist: Margarita Rojas

Clean Up Artist: Eva Marin Tabuenca

Clean Up Artist: Raquel Cruz Hevia

Editor: James Littlemore

3D & Compositing: Melt Studios

Creative & CG Lead: Javier Verdugo

Head of Production: Olaia Casal

VFX Producer: Rebecca Johnson

CG Artists: Abner Marin, Marco Rossi

Lighting Artist: Kiko Navarro

Lighting Artist: Borja Alegre

Lighting Artist: Oriol Domenech

3D Animator: Jordi Girones

3D Animator: Alan Carabantes

3D Animator: Sauce Vilas

3D Animator: Rodrigo Torres

3D Animator: Sergi Mistrali

Rigging Artist: Minimo VFX

Rigging Artist: Huhaa Studios

Compositing Artist: Juan Listello

Compositing Artist: Alex de la Sotilla

Compositing Artist: Xevi Polo

Compositing Artist: Joan Azpeitia

Compositing Artist: Gloria Bernabeu

Compositing Artist: Albert Garcia

Colorist: Xavi Santolaya

VFX Editor: Celia Caparros

Audio Post Production: 750mph Audio

Producer: Carla Thomas

Sound Design & Mix: Mark Hellaby

Music Supervision: Theodore Music

Music Supervisor: Ibou Dia

Soundtrack: Milo’s Adventure

Publisher: Audiomachine (PRS)

Composer: Michael Patti

Media Agency: the7stars

Client Lead: Zoe Bond

Digital Lead: George Konstam

Planner: Sarah Black

Strategy: Chris Gilfoy

AV: Meg Chapman

Audio and Display: Cameron Carson and Lucy Francis

Programmatic: Emma Kirkby

Social: Ellie Jones

Search: Millie Bland and Sian Campbell

Partnerships: Tanzen Barnett