The UK’s Avanti West Coast has found a brilliantly unconventional way to tackle a serious issue: rail safety during the festive season.
With accidents on the mainline rail network spiking by 45% during the Christmas period – often linked to intoxication – the rail operator teamed up with social media agency Cubaka to launch a campaign that’s as cheeky as it is impactful.
The result?
A low-alcohol beer dubbed ‘Avanti Lite,’ complete with a tongue-in-cheek 30-second safety film designed to grab attention across YouTube and Meta platforms.
When Safety Gets a Creative Brew
“It’s hard to get people excited about rail safety,” admits Emma Martell, Head of Social Content at Avanti West Coast.
The challenge was clear: How do you make passengers care about something as mundane as staying safe on train platforms during the busiest, booziest time of the year?
Avanti and Cubaka decided to tear up the traditional rule book for public safety campaigns.
The answer lay in turning safety into a cultural moment – by embracing the rising trend of low-alcohol beers.
Collaborating with an award-winning Birmingham-based brewery, they crafted not just a message but an actual product that symbolised safety with a splash of fun.
Turning a Risky Trend into a Safe Movement
The campaign taps into humour and relatability to deliver a powerful message.
Instead of lecturing passengers, Avanti’s ‘Avanti Lite’ encourages them to make smarter drinking choices before boarding.
“Understanding that alcohol is involved in such a large proportion of station accidents was the key insight to unlocking this brief,” says Olly Honess, Creative Director at Cubaka.
But the campaign goes beyond just a clever ad.
The entire Avanti West Coast team got involved – from designing the can to sourcing the right brewery partner – showcasing how brands can truly live their values when the stakes are high.
Cheers to Results That Matter
Launched strategically during the bustling December travel period, the campaign aims to deliver its message with maximum impact.
Supported by paid media and social buzz, it positions Avanti West Coast not only as a rail operator but as a brand that values passenger safety with a creative twist.
In a world saturated with bland safety warnings, Avanti West Coast has brewed up a bold, buzzworthy approach that’s set to make this Christmas safer – one sip and one smile at a time.
