LNER launching a mascot

[Adam Williams]

Given today's fare announcement, she should have, to quote Peter Kay, a "mask and a striped jumper."

New TikTok ad idea to educate customers?

 

[Meerkat]

I bought one too, but only to keep my SNCF mascots company. I swear.


View attachment 150634
Picture of a plush toy made after EMR's "Miles" mascot alongside three pink Idix 'blobs' (mascots used by the French railways, SNCF, in the mid-2000s).

Those are official mascots?! They look disturbingly like some kind of specialised ‘massage’ devices……

 

[AlexNL]

Those are official mascots?!

Yep! When SNCF rebranded themselves in the mid-2000s, they launched these mascots alongside. They're named "Idix" and they represent ideas, and SNCF used Idix to present themselves as a place where ideas are nurtured and developed.

They even starred in ads, like this one:

They look disturbingly like some kind of specialised ‘massage’ devices……

 

[maniacmartin]

This week I saw an advert with the mascot on the side of a bus stop in London. I wonder where else they're advertising

 

[CarrotPie]

New TikTok ad idea to educate customers?

View attachment 150639

That's made my week!

 

[jon0844]

I wonder who XC will come up with,

A tin of (smelly) sardines?

 

[norbitonflyer]

No, Lincoln City apparently. I think LNER sponsor their ground - doesn't make the mascot any less scary though!

He's the Lincoln Imp. (The stone original is in Lincoln Cathadral and not quite as ugly)

The overhead knitting indicates the picture wasn't taken at Lincoln though

 

[brad465]

Just to respond to this early post back on the first page of this thread!

SWR's pigeon and seagull surely represent the city (& if specifics are needed, then London) and the coast.

Trains and pigeons of course don't mix:

 

[Travelmonkey]

Trains and pigeons of course don't mix:

Most things meeting a train like that wouldn't either poor timing from that bird.

 

[yorksrob]

He's the Lincoln Imp. (The stone original is in Lincoln Cathadral and not quite as ugly)

The overhead knitting indicates the picture wasn't taken at Lincoln though

Looks quite a cheerful little fella !

 

[AlexNL]

if they were serious about getting their brand out there, then they could make a start by applying the LNER logo to each and every one of their anonymous white carriages.

It's been a deliberate choice by Virgin / Best Impressions to not do that, and that's being carried forward to this day.

Look carefully and you’ll notice the Virgin logo only on the first and last vehicles in the train. Intermediate carriages don’t sport it, and this is quite deliberate. “We see our trains as a whole,” explains Sam. “We save the Virgin logo for that moment of the train’s arrival or departure. It’s an idea we brought over from the Pendolinos on West Coast. The power of the Virgin brand means we don’t need to overuse the logo, the boldness of the livery and the use of red and white tells you exactly what this is.” It also means the colours and shapes aren’t broken up by logos on intermediate carriages, lending an almost hypnotic quality to the branding when a VTEC train passes by at speed, catching the eye. Again, it’s a deliberate choice, integral to Best Impressions’ design.

Source: Red Hot (Virgin Trains East Coast branding 2015 – ) – The Beauty of Transport

 

[800001]

If anyone is out and about today, keep a look out for 801225, it’s working 1N80 0706 Kings Cross to York, 1Y82 1002 back to London, 1S18 1300 King Cross to Edinburgh and 1E27 1830 to Kings Cross.
May be something of been added to the livery

 

[Twingo37175]

If anyone is out and about today, keep a look out for 801225, it’s working 1N80 0706 Kings Cross to York, 1Y82 1002 back to London, 1S18 1300 King Cross to Edinburgh and 1E27 1830 to Kings Cross.
May be something of been added to the livery

Fingers crossed for tomorrow as I am going to Durham from Donny, on the 8.30 out of London (which is a Ferme Park starter) and where I believe 801225 will stable tonight)

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

If anyone is out and about today, keep a look out for 801225, it’s working 1N80 0706 Kings Cross to York, 1Y82 1002 back to London, 1S18 1300 King Cross to Edinburgh and 1E27 1830 to Kings Cross.
May be something of been added to the livery

I’ve never seen a train look so silly in my life.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I’ve never seen a train look so silly in my life.

LNER's New V.I.P Eleanor Gets Her Very Own Train

www.lner.co.uk

[EDIT - I've been asked to describe this picture. It shows 801225 with the graphic of the mascot on the side and a duplicate 3d version of the same mascot leaning out of the door. Both of them look cross-eyed]

 

[ComUtoR]

If anyone is out and about today, keep a look out for 801225, it’s working 1N80 0706 Kings Cross to York, 1Y82 1002 back to London, 1S18 1300 King Cross to Edinburgh and 1E27 1830 to Kings Cross.
May be something of been added to the livery

LNER's New V.I.P Eleanor Gets Her Very Own Train

www.lner.co.uk

That's superb !

 

[Trackman]

I’ve never seen a train look so silly in my life.

I think it's great!
Good publicity stunt.

 

[43066]

I’ve never seen a train look so silly in my life.

LNER's New V.I.P Eleanor Gets Her Very Own Train

www.lner.co.uk

Yep that’s a little OTT…

 

[dk1]

The Eleneor train is so sweet. Will definitely resonate with the younger demographic.

 

[Bletchleyite]

At least they have had the sense not to stick it over the windows. Though I struggle not to think she is representative of a certain childrens' television programme which sounds a bit like "puppets" and which some might associate to the fares nonsense

The senior management at LNER are still firmly in Virgin mode. I'd hoped that the company would have been run more like East Coast, but only two years of Virgin brainwashing was all it took.

The mascot is pretty inoffensive, but if they were serious about getting their brand out there, then they could make a start by applying the LNER logo to each and every one of their anonymous white carriages.

Overbranding cheapens things. Virgin actually realised that - shoving the logo everywhere is a 2000s FirstGroup thing.

And if it is,

XC picture: "Don't leave it too late"

Love how the forum cropped that to the more accurate "leave late".

Talking of the seats, was there ever a pre production mockup, could be that if so? They look better than the actual ones

 

[YorkRailFan]

Saw 801 225 on Thursday (15 February) at York (didn't get a picture) and aren't entirely sure what to think, I haven't got an opinion on the new livery as of yet.

 

[eastwestdivide]

How to judge the success of a mascot? Perhaps when people start making post box ‘hats‘ of them, here the Anglia hare at Ely:

 

[Frank43064]

Its even worse than miles