If Amtrak Had Better Advertisements Like In The 80's

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seat38a

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Orange County California
When I was a kid, I remember watching the "All Aboard America, All Aboard Amtrak" commercials on TV. It was effective, and made me want to go on a train ride. When people ask about my train trips, people are greatly excited to hear about and see pictures because one, they thought about a train trip, heard about it, but can't find enough information to pull the trigger. Second, people are surprised that one can take a train to San Diego, San Francisco etc.. Effectively people don't even know trains exist. California does run some Amtrak California commercials but it pretty much sucks and informing. As many of you on here already know my trip reports, come with detailed pictures, which I'm trying asap to wrap up the one from 2 weeks ago, but anyways, I've gotten so many requests from clients, and even my parents doctor to see more information and pictures on what goes on aboard a train, Especially the coast starlight.They have all wanted to go but can't get enough hard solid info to invest.

Does Amtrak (Federal Amtrak not State) do any commercials on TV at all anymore? I also remember how the Coast Starlight used to advertise big time on print during the 90's. Have not seen any in a while.
 
Do you guys for some reason don't have access to Google? Or is it just you don't feel like using Google?

I just googled and found a few.

Of the most recent ones, there is one for Acela and one for general Amtrak trains. Indeed there is an entire Facebook page titled New Amtrak Commercial.

Here's the Acela Commercial.

And here is an AT&T Commercial about Amtrak's Mobile App and ticketing.

Finally, a page with several Amtrak Commercials. It asks you to subscribe to get access. I don;t know what the unintended consequences of subscribing are, so be careful.
 
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Do you guys for some reason don't have access to Google? Or is it just you don't feel like using Google?

I just googled and found a few.

Of the most recent ones, there is one for Acela and one for general Amtrak trains. Indeed there is an entire Facebook page titled New Amtrak Commercial.

Here's the Acela Commercial.

And here is an AT&T Commercial about Amtrak's Mobile App and ticketing.

Finally, a page with several Amtrak Commercials. It asks you to subscribe to get access. I don;t know what the unintended consequences of subscribing are, so be careful.
They don't play any of them out here in SoCal. With 500+ channels, have not seen a Amtrak commercial in decades that wasn't a cheesy Amtrak California one. Whats the point of these commercials if they aren't broadcasted where people can see like on network tv during prime time? Its all great that they have a commercial on their Facebook page, but again, like I said if many people don't know trains exist, how are they going to go look for it on Amtrak's Facebook page? Acela is a separate issue since it only a NEC service, and I have no idea what local channels are broadcasting in the NE. The old commercials I mentioned were broadcasted on tv during primetime and throughout the day.
 
SoCal has very little Amtrak service anymore. It is mostly Amtrak California, which really is not Amtrak. I have no idea if they do and to what extent they advertize their services. Amtrak essentially just has an operating contract with them, Commercial and Marketing is all Amtrak California's responsibility, not Amtrak's.

The only Amtrak trains there are the three Amtrak Long Distance trains out of LAX.

I once had a chat about this very subject with Emmett Fremaux when he was the Commercial VP of Amtrak, and was responsible for restoring the NE Regionals back upto 8 cars. His take on it was that TV Commercials for LD trains have generally not produced the returns that would make them worthwhile. I have no idea what the numbers are behind that statement. However, Emmett was not one of the died in the wool old time Amtrak railroader. He was a dynamic new school marketing guy. So he probably had a good reason to feel that way. He believed that advertizing in local papers and on the internet was more effective because that hits the demographics that is likely to use Amtrak better and for lower overall cost.

TV commercials generally are notorious for being very expensive so I can see why an outfit short of money would be careful about spending money on such unless they have very good evidence that the money brings returns to justify its expenditure.
 
The one and only time I've ever seen Amtrak advertised on television was when I was watching a home town sports feed being broadcast from along the NEC. I've heard a single Amtrak radio commercial and there was one brief web clip on Hulu or Youtube. That's all I've ever seen.
 
We've had several threads over the years discussing this and one area where advertising seems to still work for Amtrak is Sports.

Besides the advertising along the NEC ( its news when pro teams use Amtrak to travel via train between Boston, New York,PHilly, Baltimore and Washington), some Hockey, Basketball and Baseball teams having Amtrak advertising in their Stadiums and Arenas and on their broadcasts.

The local Round Rock Express PCL Baseball team ( home of Dell) has sign ads in the park,in their programs and commercials on their Radio broadcasts and the rare occasions where they are on TV.

The demographics of the Express fan base leans to retirees and families with young children, which is ideal for marketing purposes.

They often run promotions offering Amtrak tickets and package deals to the DFW Metroplex, ( the MLB Texas Rangers are their parent team) and every time the Texas Eagle comes by they play a train song and mention it over the PA.

I have met lots of people on the Eagle heading North and South by Southwest out of Austin, Taylor and Temple who are Express fans and we've discussed trains and baseball as we roll along the rails!

Good point about TV being so expensive when to advertise on when Amtrak is in a starvation budget. Amtrak's crack PR and Marketing Departments need to try and get more freebie mentions and brand placements in the media and movies!
 
There is a very nice Amtrak commercial on the radio on the Phillies station. It starts with the voice saying "That ball's outta here! Just like an Amtrak train...."

I listen to baseball on the radio, and always hit the "off" button during commercials, except for a couple, including that one.

Last year, they ran an Acela ad, but someone must have pointed out to them that those of us listening to baseball at home on the radio instead of being in the luxury suites at the ballpark are not the Acela crowd.
 
The ads I remembered used the tag line "There's something about a train that's magic."

These days I have heard Capitol Corridor ads on radio, typically for their service to sporting events. They also have web ads.
 
Here's one in the series I remember:



Not sure if farmers riding tractors or Cowboys riding horses would really wave at a passenger train.
 
I can't remember the last time I watched a commercial. DVRs and such make it easy to skip over them. The only time I ever see one is when a friend goes on and on about how funny one is and then links it via YouTube. I don't really blame Amtrak for saving money and putting it toward billboards and the like.

I also can't remember the last time I heard a commercial on the radio. The only time I hear the radio is at the doctor's office. Like many others, I listen to my own music in the car.

I have and continue to see many Amtrak billboards as I travel on various highways. I think that's a good spot for them, as it reminds people they don't have to put up with snowy conditions, traffic snarls, and the monotony of the interstate. They're smart to advertise that way.
 
I can't remember the last time I watched a commercial. DVRs and such make it easy to skip over them.
Agreed. The only time I see commercials is watching live sports.

I also can't remember the last time I heard a commercial on the radio. The only time I hear the radio is at the doctor's office. Like many others, I listen to my own music in the car.
Also agreed. 90% podcasts, 9% music, 1% live radio (again, live sports is pretty much it).
 
Amtrak is a sponsor of our local Single-A New York Mets affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats. They even offer periodic promotions (none of which have to do with rail travel). But their name is big and blue on the field. It comes and goes - here this year, and two years ago, but not last year.

I've heard radio spots periodically, but not often enough.

But where is availability high enough in a market that is undertapped where the train already runs - that could generate considerable revenue? Any ideas?
 
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They have an ad on the outfield fence at New Britain Stadium (Rock Cats, AA Affiliate of Colorado Rockies). It's just the logo with the word "Amtrak" on it. It's so small on the 8' X 16' panel, that it's tough to read from the seats. It can't be meant for television since only a few games are broadcast on Connecticut Public Television in standard definition. 24.3.

Next year they'll be the Hartford Yard Goats (Sheesh!) and the railroad based name should have some marketing tie. I'm just kidding. I can't figure that one out. I know it took a while to warm up to the name Rock Cats, and there are Rubber Ducks in the league, but I can't figure out the tie of a Yard Goat to Hartford.
 
They have an ad on the outfield fence at New Britain Stadium (Rock Cats, AA Affiliate of Colorado Rockies). It's just the logo with the word "Amtrak" on it. It's so small on the 8' X 16' panel, that it's tough to read from the seats. It can't be meant for television since only a few games are broadcast on Connecticut Public Television in standard definition. 24.3.

Next year they'll be the Hartford Yard Goats (Sheesh!) and the railroad based name should have some marketing tie. I'm just kidding. I can't figure that one out. I know it took a while to warm up to the name Rock Cats, and there are Rubber Ducks in the league, but I can't figure out the tie of a Yard Goat to Hartford.
Sand Gnats, Yard Goats. I thought the Richmond Flying Squirrels was bad :) I remember when the Mud Hens was an unusual name. Amtrak used to have basically the same thing on the outfield wall when the Richmond Braves were still around.
 
For the record, Marketing has a tiny budget. Additionally, things have changed. People need sound bites and quick slogans for references. Personally, I think this is a shame. I miss the old jingles. I needed an appliance and the whistle from an ad campaign was lodged in my head.

When I needed a bed, I looked around and the chorus from the jingle of a certain bed chain stuck in my head, so I gravitated to that particular store.

So, I would love to see a consistent catch phrase that people can hum emerge from marketing because even though I don't typically partake of the product, I'd still like to teach the world to sing...in perfect harmony.

BTW way, it's only 6 months to the "Toy's R Us" time of year.
 
Amtrak is a sponsor of our local Single-A New York Mets affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats. They even offer periodic promotions (none of which have to do with rail travel). But their name is big and blue on the field. It comes and goes - here this year, and two years ago, but not last year.
Amtrak has a major relation with the Mets organization at all levels. The new Citi Field even has a very upscale restaurant with window seating that looks out on the field called the Acela Club. I've not partaken of a meal there yet; but I have walked around the restaurant to check it out.
 
I get WNBC New York and KNBC Los Angeles via DirecTV and greatly enjoy the Acela and Amtrak California ads. Here in the Sooner Nation from time to time there are radio ads for the Heartland Flyer but interestingly they never mention Amtrak! It must have something to do with the state sponsorships.
 
I get WNBC New York and KNBC Los Angeles via DirecTV and greatly enjoy the Acela and Amtrak California ads. Here in the Sooner Nation from time to time there are radio ads for the Heartland Flyer but interestingly they never mention Amtrak! It must have something to do with the state sponsorships.
Well it looks like the focus in all on the local corridor on local media and none on the LD national media. Makes sense to focus on what makes you money, but at the same time, the part that needs the most convincing to take gets no love.
 
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I get WNBC New York and KNBC Los Angeles via DirecTV and greatly enjoy the Acela and Amtrak California ads. Here in the Sooner Nation from time to time there are radio ads for the Heartland Flyer but interestingly they never mention Amtrak! It must have something to do with the state sponsorships.
Do they at least mention that Flyer passengers can connect to trains heading to Chicago via Fort Worth or to Los Angeles via San Antonio? Or do the ads simply act as if the national network doesn't exist? If so that seems like a wasted opportunity to sell more seats on the Flyer to folks who want to travel further than FTW. For me the Flyer remains unappealing due to the extended connection in FTW and the late arrival into OKC. If the Flyer were setup so that I could catch an entire OKC game with time to spare it would be more attractive to me.
 
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I see a lot more CSX ads, I've actually never seen an Amtrak commercial on TV live (without going on youtube or anything) in my entire life.
 
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