East West Rail

East West Rail will connect towns and cities from Oxford to Cambridge. Intersecting with all major north-south rail lines, it promises to transform the region and the lives of those who live and work there. As with any politically sensitive project, the challenge was to get people to understand what it meant for them. We needed to allay fears while speaking to the silent majority whose lives would be genuinely improved.

The region accounts for a disproportionate share of England’s economic output with greater productivity and more patent applications. But the area is let down by a lack of connectivity. Growth is constrained around the globally recognised Oxford and Cambridge, and some towns feel left behind. EWR could unlock growth worth over £100 billion in gross value added every year by 2050, generating fairer growth.

We told the human story behind the big numbers to win support with communities, engaging them with what ‘growth’ really meant for them.

We led extensive research across the route to understand how audiences felt; about the project, the region and the places they call home, their transport frustrations, and what truly matters to them in their day-to-day lives.

This informed the strategic development of the brand; we made the project tangible and relevant to the communities it serves, delivering detailed messaging frameworks, photoshoots, and campaigns, working on consultations and route updates.

Positioned around connecting local communities to the things that matter to them, this is a railway about improving people’s lives. The result? Significant improvement in sentiment and support.