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Back in 2024 LNER introduced us all to Eleanor, a distinctive, joyful puppet with big red hair. She was the new brand mascot for the train company, whose role was to demonstrate the freedom you experience onboard an LNER train. Eleanor was a big hit with viewers, and now her adventures continue with a new ad from LNER and McCann London. Has Eleanor still got what it takes to charm audiences? We put the new ad through our Test Your Ad platform to find out.
In her original outing, Eleanor showed customers what LNER had to offer on its trains. This time, she’s actively encouraging them to get on board. The ad keeps the “Freedom All The Way” theme and tagline that underpins the campaign and builds on it with a new song based on Jon Batiste’s soulful hit “Freedom”. Eleanor is promoting freedom as well as celebrating it, getting out of her car on a gridlocked road and leading other weary car users to the relaxing and reliable LNER train. Once there, she sees passengers chatting, playing games, and passing the time however they want with the freedom LNER travel provides.
This shift in emphasis was no accident. As Kayley Almond, McCann London strategy director puts it: “The task for this ad was to flesh out Eleanor’s purpose. She was in a strong position already as customers loved her and her cheeky personality, but she was largely observing as things happened around her. This time it was crucial that she had a clear role. By leading people away from the frustration of being stuck in stationary traffic, and then inviting them to experience the freedom of train travel with LNER she gained a clear purpose. Her singing voice, her wit, relatability, and her Geordie accent were then incorporated naturally to make her much more well-rounded, active, and real (as real as a puppet can be!). The reaction has been great so far and we can’t wait to do even more with her on other channels.”
At System1 we often talk about the importance of brand mascots as a focus point for an ad. We call mascots used like this Fluent Devices, and they often work better over time as audiences get more familiar and happy to see them and as brands and agencies take the opportunity to add depth to their world – “more well-rounded, active and real”, as Kayley Almond puts it. This kind of consistency is a win-win for audiences and brands alike, making for better, more enjoyable ads that are also more likely to deliver commercially.
In Eleanor’s case this translates to a very strong 4.5-Star Rating (our predictive measure of longer-term business impact). The average for the travel and transport category is high, at 3.4-Stars, but LNER still lands well above that norm. And it’s even more impressive when you consider that much of the category is glamorous beach holidays in exotic locations, not a trip by train. Eleanor and LNER are punching well above their weight here, thanks to the strong use of a charming brand mascot, dynamic visuals and a melodic soundtrack
"At LNER, we’re passionate about making train travel easier, better and even more enjoyable. This ad and the wider campaign celebrates some of the many freedoms our customers experience when travelling with us—whether it’s escaping the stress of traffic jams, relaxing in comfort, or making the most of every moment along the way. Brought to life wonderfully by our very own cheerleader of freedom, Eleanor."
The most effective ads boost sales and drive long-term growth. They do it by making people feel more - building positive associations with a recognisable brand. We predict sales and growth impacts by measuring emotion, letting you make ads that entertain for commercial gain.
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