South Western Railway: Spread Your Wings, 3

St Luke’s is introducing a new creative positioning, along with two avian brand ambassadors, in its debut work for South Western Railway. ‘Spread your wings’, is designed to remind people of all the things they’ve been missing out on during the various phases of lockdown and to encourage them to get back out there and explore everything that’s on offer using the South Western Railway network. The new characters, who sparked an unlikely friendship on a South Western Railway commuter train a few years back, act as ambassadors for the region: Sandy the West Country Seagull representing the very best of the coast and Wes the loveable pigeon from Peckham, showcasing the very best bits of London. The new campaign focuses on commuter travel and captures the joy of reconnecting with friends - reminding everyone of the benefits of going into the office and showing how you can now enjoy all of that with greater flexibility with the new ticketing options on offer. The animated ad introduces us to Wesley Peck, the young business-pigeon, who runs into his friend, a successful execu-bird called Sandy C. Gull, on a South Western Railway train on its way to London. Together they discuss their plans for the day, from lunch with clients and business meetings to an exhibition and drinks with friends, in a conversation packed with bird-inspired word play. A voiceover reminds us of the flexible ticket options available and finishes with the ‘Spread your wings’ strapline. Casting the voice actors to interact in a friendly and relaxed way was important. The bird characters were based on these recordings and include the behavioural ticks and personality in their performance - an easy conversation between friends as they would naturally interact. The animation, directed by Smith & Foulkes through Nexus Studios, has all been modelled, textured and animated in 3D with some 2D background work. Lighting was very important to the atmosphere of the journey from a misty morning departure to their arrival at Waterloo station on a bright and sunny day. Part of every train journey is looking outside at the passing landscapes so it gives a total sense of the train journey through its environments.