Via targets future biz travel

April 1, 2007 by Annette Bourdeau

Jonesing for some home cooking and clean laundry? Montreal-based Via Rail is betting that a lot of first-year university students are. Its latest campaign, by Ogilvy Montreal, features images of empty fridges and piles of dirty laundry with cheeky headlines like ‘Miss Mom’s cooking?’

The direct-drop effort was distributed at university residences across Ontario and Quebec. It drives students to www.viacampus.ca/homesick, where they can receive a special web discount.

‘One of the objectives is to generate trial,’ says Diane Langevin, senior manager, advertising and promotions at Via. ‘Later on when they start their careers, they’ll be aware of us.’

The ‘homesick’ messaging is also running in Atlantic Canada in print, small billboard and plasma TV executions on university campuses.

clients: Diane Langevin, senior manager, advertising and promotion; Mara McCallen, specialist, marketing programs; Anick Cesaria, specialist, marketing communications, Via Rail

agency: Ogilvy Montreal

CD: Martin Bélanger

copywriters: Martin Bélanger, François Vaillancourt and Terry Paquet

AD: François Vaillancourt

account team: Stacey Leavitt, Hugues Gendron