ABOUT

The Brief
Network Rail required an effective communications campaign for a major infrastructure project: the closure, demolition and reconstruction of the Greek Street bridge in Stockport.
The bridge sits beneath Stockport’s busiest roundabout, connecting four key routes through the town while carrying traffic above six railway lines. Disruption to the structure would impact traffic flow, rail services, local businesses, and daily movement throughout Stockport and the surrounding area.
Our challenge was to manage public reaction to major road and rail disruption, deliver clarity about the project, reduce confusion, and ultimately achieve a targeted 10% reduction in complaints.

Mediums
• Hoardings
• Out of home and digital OOH
• Film and VOD
• Radio
• Social and digital advertising
• Direct mail
• Wayfinding and diversion signage
• Station posters
• Matchday programme advertising
• Community engagement
• Stakeholder communications

Concept
What if we re-framed the disruption as a civic transformation project?
That became the thinking behind Strengthening Stockport.
Instead of communicating the Greek Street reconstruction purely through closures, delays and diversions, we positioned it as a long-term investment in the town itself; strengthening infrastructure, strengthening reliability, strengthening safety and ultimately strengthening the community.

That is a shift that mattered to the people of Stockport - real progress for their town, and work that was understandably essential to carry out.

Built into the idea was a communications platform, designed to evolve alongside the reconstruction itself; refreshing creative and delivering different messaging throughout the course of the work, the public and business were kept informed at each major milestone during the project.

Execution
It was essential for the campaign to be both practical and creative.

Visually, we created a flexible identity system with bold typography, layered colour blocks, and designs inspired by two structures - the bridge carrying the roundabout, and the railway underneath.
This system could adapt to each phase and remain completely recognisable across all formats, providing multiple ways to attach meaningful suffixes to the messaging.

Key to our communications was the hoarding around the site itself. They combined timelines, maps, diversion routes, wayfinding, QR codes, and community messages into several clear installations for the public.

Film and radio brought a warm, empathetic and honest tone to the campaign. Instead of exaggerating the disruption, the scripts focused on honesty, reassurance, and long-term benefits. Authenticity was the voice of Strengthening Stockport; its consistency was key across all channels:
Digital ads, direct mail, station posters, football matchday programme messages, maps, and local engagement with schools, homes and businesses.

Results
This is the type of project where complaints are expected.

A major roundabout closure. Rail disruption. Diversions lasting over a year. The brief itself targeted a 10% reduction in complaints during the works.

Instead, the campaign generated no complaints during the communications period.

The phased structure helped keep communications active and useful throughout the project, while the visual identity gave the works a consistent and recognisable presence across Stockport, even supporting additional Network Rail infrastructure works in Cumbria and Manchester - all with the same premise, look and feel.

Most importantly, the campaign showed that when people understand the reasons behind disruption and feel properly informed, public frustration can turn into universal support and understanding.
Project Credits
Client: Network Rail
Creative Direction – Jim Magee
Head of Strategy – Ed Henderson
Senior Account Director: Marc Casey
Media Director: Sam McIlveen
Policy Consultant: Simon Hamilton
PR Consultant: Dave Cullen
Account Director: Emma Addison
Account Manager: Naomi Drennan
Graphic Designers: Holly Quinn, Sharan Kaur, Jack Blaney
Client – Network Rail
Project Partners: Stockport Council / Transport for Greater Manchester / Murphys Construction