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ANDY Awards

Creative Award
New York, United States
Thalys - "Sounds of the City" by ANDY Awards 2016

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TitleSounds of the City
Agency
Campaign Sounds of the City
Advertiser Thalys
Brand Thalys
Date of First Broadcast/Publication 2015 / 5
Business Sector Airlines, Airports, Railways, Bus Lines, Ferries & Cruises
Story    The Thalys train network connects cities in France, Belgium, Germany and Amsterdam. The cities are close enough to each other that a trip from one to the other might not feel very exotic. Thalys promote holidays as part of their ticket sales strategy, and their challenge is how to make these destinations look fresh and exciting. How to make Brussels exciting to a Parisian? How to make someone from Dusseldorf visit The Hague?    
Problem The Brief
This campaign targeted casual, weekend travellers. But the expectation with activations such these billboards is that people will be motivated to book a holiday, and will pull out their cellphone and start exploring tickets and prices that they will book on the spot, or more likely back at home once they are in front of a laptop.
How the final design was conceived
Thalys often advertise their train destinations as a way of selling tickets, and they're always looking for fresh ways to present them. Most pedestrians carry a pair of headphones with them these days, so why not advertise a city with sound? We captured the sound identities of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, and integrated them into three adapted billboards. Each city was represented by over 1000 sounds. Each sound was accessed via a unique headphone jack. The sounds included overheard conversations, street musicians, language lessons, market sellers, church bells, scam artists routines, and hundreds more.
Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market
We changed perceptions about nearby cities on the network. Thousands of people interacted with the installations. Tickets for the three holiday weekends in May sold out fast. Visits to Thalys.com spiked by 20,000 impressions, a 58.5% increase on the average for that time of the year.    
Media Type Case Study
Length
Market France
AI Description The ad presents Thalys’ innovative campaign using sound to enhance the travel experience across cities like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. It features vibrant urban scenes and interactive sound maps installed in these cities. Each sound map is equipped with over 1000 headphone jacks, allowing pedestrians to engage with the unique auditory experiences of each city. The atmospheric visuals are combined with dynamic cityscapes and maps, making viewers feel the essence of each locale. This campaign seeks to transform perceptions of common travel destinations by emphasizing their unique soundscapes, encouraging exploration and engagement beyond traditional tourism imagery. The ad captures scenes of people interacting with the installations and enjoying the diverse sounds from lively markets to serene park settings, highlighting the cultural richness of each city.
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Sound
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Sound