Renew your love of travel with VIA Rail’s new brand platform

Montreal, September 17, 2018 –VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is undergoing a remarkable transformation in its quest to become the smarter way to travel for more and more Canadians. The Crown corporation is introducing a new brand platform and tagline, Love the Way, which reinforces its role as the unifying Canadian leader of sustainable, enjoyable and safe mobility. VIA Rail was assisted and supported by Cossette in redefining its brand.

“As a rapidly modernizing Crown corporation, our values of innovation, trust and agility are even more important and represent the guiding force behind all our actions. This tagline is a reflection of what makes us unique and of what lies at the heart of our corporate culture. We are firmly focused on the future. Our ambition is to reimagine the Canadian journey by creating smarter ways to travel. With Love the Way, we hope that Canadians will indeed rediscover the joy of travel and thus contribute to a better future economically, socially and environmentally,” said Ann Bouthillier, VIA Rail’s Chief Communications Officer.

“VIA Rail is a major Canadian player in the transport industry and strongly believes that travel should be an easy, sustainable and enjoyable experience that meets the individual needs and preferences of today’s and tomorrow’s passengers,” she added. “Every action taken by our employees reflects the company’s commitment, resourcefulness and authenticity. We are acknowledged in the industry for providing customer service that is welcoming, professional, caring and focused on the needs of our clientele. Thanks to this experience, we are able to introduce Love the Way with confidence.”

Following a consultation exercise with its various target audiences, including employees, passengers and non-passengers, VIA Rail refined its brand DNA and identified the important factors that strongly contribute to the pleasure of travel. The process sought to build a creative platform based on the strengths of the Crown corporation, that would stand the test of time.

“When it comes to travel, the journey itself, with all the traffic, construction work, delays and lineups that people have to endure, is often more of an irritant than a pleasure. It’s a necessary evil for reaching a destination and a source of frustration and anxiety. The pleasure aspect got lost along the way,” explains Peter Ignazi, Cossette’s Global Chief Creative Officer. “And yet getting to one’s destination should be as important and enjoyable as the destination itself. This is the very essence of smart mobility and the cornerstone of the Love the Way platform. We want to inspire Canadians to renew their love of travel.”

The launch campaign will be rolled out on television (30-second spots), the Web (30-, 15- and 6-second spots and banners) and in displays, print media and movie theatres (60-second spots). Digital agency Tink was in charge of updating viarail.ca to reflect the new platform. Visitors to the site will benefit from a more tailored experience that includes new features and content.

Credits

Sponsor: VIA Rail Canada

Creative Agency: Cossette

Media Agency: Touché!

Digital Agency: Tink

Production House: Cinélande

Director: Didier Charette

Post-Production: Post430, SHED Inc.

Music: Cult Nation

Sound: LaMajeure

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It is a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways. Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports nearly 4.4 million passengers annually. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the “About VIA Rail” section at www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.