• by Larissa Faw , April 4, 2016

Eurostar is launching its new e320 trains with a campaign called “La Vie on Board” that will be featured on Instagram and the transportation firm’s digital and offline assets. 

Developed with agency AKQA, the project features an Instagram canvas made of 200 image squares depicting an illustrated version of the new train. Viewers can track the whole journey from London to Paris by horizontally scrolling through the Instagram grid on the phone. 

"Instagram allowed us to create a playful and beautiful grid for people to play with our train and to discover all the stories behind it," says Peter Lund, creative director, AKQA. "By 'hacking' Instagram traditional usage, we’ve been able to create real engagement between people and our train." 

Each square is designed to tell its own little story via a combination of animated and still images. One grid, for instance, shows a couple falling in love, while another image shows senior citizens having a party while they are on the train. These stories are specifically plotted to highlight the benefits of the new train, including free Wi-Fi and an on-board infotainment platform.

The "canvas" also features hidden Easter egg hunt type promotions, such as 2-for-1 ticket offers from nine museum partners in London and Paris.  

To help attract attention to this platform, the campaign enlisted Instagram influencers, including French fashion editor Adenorah and London-based photographer By Afrique to invite their followers to post a travel selfie and tag it with #eurostar.

Select winners then received a trip to either London or Paris and an opportunity to meet their influencer. In addition, these influencers and winners found themselves illustrated within the Instagram narrative. 

This concept will live outside of Instagram as well; creative will appear inside the train stations on the screens, on the new infotainment system onboard the train and on other digital and offline assets.  

“This Instagram horizontal canvas idea has immediately seduced us," stated Lionel Benbassat, marketing director at Eurostar. "It allows us to discover in a playful way all the features of our new trains, and it gives users a preview of their traveling experience from London to Paris.”