A family fly a whale shaped kite on a beach

Govia Thameslink Railway show customers that “Every Stop is a Story”

The new campaign, created by TMW, with media planned and bought by T&P, will launch throughout integrated channels

By Creative Salon

06 August 2025

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched a new integrated campaign under the brand umbrella, Every Stop is a Story, to encourage leisure travel on its network.

Created by integrated creative agency TMW, part of Accenture Song, it’s the latest iteration of its multi-award-winning brand platform, aimed at shifting perceptions from commuter lines towards being seen as more of a leisure travel brand.

The campaign is focused on two Govia Thameslink brands: Southern Railway and Thameslink. Whilst each brand’s assets have been constructed with a different visual identity for different audiences, the message remains the same: train travel enables opportunities for unique leisure experiences.

The integrated campaign, with media planned & bought by T&P, will be supported across TV, VOD, OOH, social, online video and display. The new creative will launch on 6th August on Channel 4.

Southern Railway’s family-focused execution, The day we saw a flying whale, captures the magic of a spontaneous day out for a single dad and his two children. What begins as their standard train journey takes a surreal turn when the daughter spots a whale flying through the trees. A knowing smile from dad, and curiosity from the kids, sees them hop off at the next stop and rush to see a collection of enormous aquatic kites being flown at a kite festival. On the way home, accompanied by a new whale cuddly toy, the daughter gives her dad the ultimate seal of approval, saying, “That was actually fun.”

To encourage exploration among a younger audience, the spot for Thameslink, Plenty more fish, features a story of a twentysomething man’s trip with his mates who are trying to lift his spirits with a daytrip following a breakup. A comically soggy paddleboarding fail leads to a wonderful, fateful meeting. As he scrambles soaked back to dry land, he locks eyes with a beautiful instructor who helps him out.

Both ads use emotional storytelling and humour to target their audiences, providing examples of how using the train for leisure can lead to unexpected, moving or funny moments which result in stories that can be remembered forever.

This campaign will build on the legacy of previous award-winning and effective work, continuing GTR’s strategy to change the perception of rail travel and showcase unique attractions that exist across their network. This approach has driven revenue growth and increased return on ad spend, via their full funnel, audience centric, multi-channel media approach.

GTR and TMW’s success has been rewarded with Gold in the Travel & Leisure category at the DMA Awards in both 2023 and 2024.

Alex Briggs, Head of Marketing at Govia Thameslink Railway said “This campaign marks a new chapter in how we connect with leisure travellers. Every Stop is a Story captures the spirit of discovery that rail travel offers, and both TMW and T&P have been instrumental in helping us reimagine what our brands can mean to people beyond the daily commute. From creative to media, they’ve helped us show up in the moments that matter – whether that’s on a platform, a phone screen, or a family sofa – with stories that feel genuinely worth stopping for.”

Graeme Noble, Chief Creative Officer at TMW, part of Accenture Song said “Every Stop is a Story shows the power of integrated storytelling at its best, blending emotional insight with humour across formats to bring GTR’s leisure travel vision to life. It’s been a joy building on our shared success with a client who understands the value of big, human ideas told in rich, audience-first ways.”

Sophie Fyles, Chief Client Officer at T&P, “The latest campaign is our biggest yet for GTR but is a natural evolution of the audience-centric, full-funnel approach we’ve taken to their campaigns over the last year, which have consistently delivered positive ROI results. We’re excited to help GTR deliver the campaign and can’t wait to see it in action.”