TV Commercials

Welcome to InterCity 1992 (Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi)

This series of 40 and 10 second commercials was to be the last campaign run by InterCity and British Rail. Following the general election in April 1992, the new government made clear its intention to privatise Britain‘s railways although it had yet to decide the structure.

Chris Green had moved from Network SouthEast to become Managing Director of InterCity. Together with John Cimelli, InterCity‘s Director of Communications and agency Saatchi & Saatchi, the team decided to continue building on the success of the InterCity brand in the hope that the business would be sold off as a single entity. The strategy was to follow on from the acclaimed ’Relax‘ commercials and develop this new ’Welcome to InterCity‘ campaign.

The commercials combine brilliant photography, innovative visual ’tricks‘ and cleverly written scripts. In the station scene in commercials 1 and 3, the Saatchi‘s production team even manages to create a moving image version of Brendan Neiland‘s classic InterCity station architecture posters. These that had been commissioned for the launch of the IC225s in 1991. The 10 second cut downs feature some of the key images from the longer versions. The last one, ’the routes of Britain‘, demonstrates the extent of the InterCity network.

The campaign launched in September 1992.

Three similar 40 second commercials.

Click on image to see commercial.
Welcome 1 Welcome 2 Welcome 3
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Three similar 10 second commercials.

Click on image to see commercial.
Welcome 1 Welcome 2 Welcome 3
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