Amtrak Is Doing More Advertising

[Viewliner]

Lately Amtrak has had a few advetisements on TV, largely Acela, but I just saw a General Commercial (i.e. non route specific, showing Superliners), in addition to an Acela one earlier.

Any reactions?

Anybody else seen these commercials?

Be on the lookout on your major networks (NBC definitely).

 

[jccollins]

I saw a general Amtrak commercial on CBS during the Survivor show last Thursday! (I thought I was seeing things). I've never seen an Amtrak commerical on TV before this one.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

I haven't seen that commercial yet, as I don't watch a lot of TV (most of my spare time is spent on the Internet). Here in the Portland, OR, area, I've heard a couple of commercials on the radio advertising Amtrak's extra train from Portland to Seattle and back for football games. Slowly, but surely, the advertising is getting out there.

 

[AlanB]

Hopefully this is another lesson that David Gunn is teaching Amtrak, you've got to advertise.

Rule number one in business is, you've got to spend money to make money. Or to put it another way, you've got to toot your own horn and I don't mean the one on the engine. If people don't know your product or service is out there, then they won't come to you when they need the product or service you offer.

 

[Viewliner]

Agreed, its a start, but the general commericials really need to tell what routes and Services are offered (i.e. routes). I'm glad to see Amtrak on TV, and I like how its not negative (Trashing Airlines).

I have confidence in Gunn, and who knows, maybe between now and the end of his Amtrak career we have a Shot at getting a nice (well-built) Viewliner Fleet. :lol:

 

[RandyJay]

This Sunday I saw the first print ad I can recall in my local (San Antonio) newspaper. A quarter-page ad in the "A" section no less, not the travel section or otherwise burried back in the paper. It mentioned the current 30% and 35% promotions and showed sample regular versus sale fares for several Texas cities from San Antonio (one-way coach fares of course). Funny but all the listed cities were on the Eagle (21/22) route only - no listings for any Sunset Limited cities! Maybe they didn't want to push the SL too hard to potential new riders, given it's on-time performance? LOL

Anyway, I too agree that this is money well spent. So many times I have mentioned Amtrak and train travel to friends who live here and am met with blank stares and "you mean they still have passenger trains?" or "is there really a train that comes to San Antonio?" I'm glad to see David Gunn trying to get Amtrak some much deserved publicity among the masses!

 

[Amfleet]

It's Acela all over in Boston. NBC-WHDH plays Acela and Downeaster commericals in the morning and FOX 25 played an Acela commercial during last nights football game.

 

[jccollins]

Funny but all the listed cities were on the Eagle (21/22) route only - no listings for any Sunset Limited cities! Maybe they didn't want to push the SL too hard to potential new riders, given it's on-time performance? LOL

Amtrak is probably only promoting the Texas Eagle 21/22 routes between San Antonio and Chicago because it offers daily service, unlike the inconvenient tri-weekly schedule on the Sunset Limited. I guess they figure people are more likely to jump on a daily train than a tri-weekly train (which they are more likely to laught at ). I think it probably had more to do with this scheduling than the actual on-time performance. From what I have heard the Texas Eagle doesn't exactly have a perfect on-time record either... In any event, I still think it would have been nice if Amtrak could have shown a FEW sample fares on the Sunset Limited route (again, just to show people that there IS another route serving a completely different set of cities).

My approach would have been to promote fares from Texas to Orlando, and advertise "take the Sunset Limited on a relaxing adventure to Orlando, the gateway to DisneyWorld, and leave the stress of driving and conventional travel behind!" Progress is being made. We'll get there eventually!

 

[Allen Dee]

And the freight railroads are advertising again, also.

I have seen several UP commercials on TV in the last few weeks. I hadn't seen them in decades.

 

[gswager]

I saw Amtrak ad on Parade on yesterday (Sunday) newspaper, mentioning the 30-35% discount on tickets.

 

[tp49]

I too have been seeing the comemrcials for UP on television lately. Has anyone else seen the Norfolk Southern commercials, I've seen them on cable recently as well.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

My biggest problem with most Amtrak ads I have ever seen are, indeed, that they are too generic. Not specific enough. Good to see some signs of that changing.

 

[Amfleet]

One thing I was very suprised about the Acela commercial was no special effects, just 30 seconds of "pure" train both inside and out. Same with the Downeaster commercials. I have seen one or two NS commercials.

 

[Viewliner]

The general commercial (saw it again) shows a Phase III P-42, I wonder if this is a sign of things to come? :unsure:

 

[tp49]

I still haven't seen any of the Amtrak commercials...maybe it would help if I turned the television on...

 

[Amfleet]

I don't watch that much TV either so I don't know what the other commercials are besides the ones for Acela and Downeaster. What's was the one for with the Phase III locomotive?