There's No Need To Travel Long Distances To Get Away From It All

Oct. 19, 2021

With the urge to travel now stronger than ever as we head into the autumn, Thalys is asserting its desire to bring Europeans together with a brand-new, quirky and bold campaign that shines a light on its key destinations. Created hand-in-hand with the DDB Paris advertising agency, this new campaign marks a clear shift in the Thalys tone of voice.

The message Thalys is keen to share with its customers is that “there’s no need to travel long distances to get away from it all.”

Because travelling is about the smallest of things, the idiosyncrasies, the differences, the little quirks of the neighbours you thought you knew before finally stepping into their world.

Thalys has consequently tapped into the unique traits of Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, which it has sprinkled with its own promise of new horizons and originality, along with the odd dash of self-derision.

To bring the concept to life, Thalys has joined forces with Gil Anselmi, a young artistic photographer with a dreamy and luminous style, who has successfully created a colourful, upbeat and dynamic campaign. It is a committed stance, and one that underscores the firm’s determination to continue fulfilling its mission of strengthening European ties.

A dedicated visual for Thalys Business travellers also quirkily highlights the joy of resuming face-to-face work.

The three-pronged DOOH (Digital Out of Home), social media and display campaign will run from 18th October in the Greater Paris region, and from 25th October in Belgium, the Netherlands and the North-Rhine Westphalia region of Germany.

Bruno Dierickx, Sales and Marketing Director at Thalys, explains:

“It sees us openly adopt a bolder and more differentiated tone to incite our customers to discover or rediscover our destinations.”