ABOUT

As rail travel habits shifted from commuting to leisure-led journeys, Chiltern Railways partnered with DRPG to reposition the brand as an enabler of exploration rather than simply a mode of transport. The result was Explore More, a fully integrated campaign spanning TV, VOD, social, digital and radio, designed to reignite emotional connection with rail travel and stand apart within a highly functional advertising category.

At the heart of the campaign sat a cinematic hero film featuring an AI-generated tiger travelling through a live-action train environment, symbolising imagination, adventure and the experiences unlocked through travel. Created in partnership with Framestore, the production blended traditional filmmaking and VFX craft with AI-assisted workflows to accelerate modelling, animation testing and compositing, while maintaining emotional realism and a distinctly human narrative.

Shot on a real train within a single-day production window, the campaign combined meticulous pre-visualisation, live-action storytelling and innovative visual effects to deliver a visually striking and emotionally engaging brand platform.

The campaign generated 7.7 million VOD impressions, 7 million social impressions and 25.5 million radio impacts, while driving a 20% year-on-year revenue uplift and a 32% increase in Google searches for “Explore More.” Beyond commercial impact, the work successfully repositioned Chiltern Railways as a more experience-led and culturally engaging brand.