GNER appoints VCCP and Heresy to push high-speed service

The train operator Great North Eastern Railways has appointed both its incumbent agency, Heresy and Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest to promote its high speed services between London and Scotland.

The appointment follows a statutory pitch that saw a shoot out between the creative agencies Heresy, VCCP, St Luke's, DDB London, RPM3 and the direct marketing agency Clark Mc Kay & Walpole.

The winning agencies will work for GNER on separate campaigns on a project basis until the end of the operator's franchise in April 2005. The position will then be reviewed.

The company spends £3million on advertising. A national roll-out of GNER's rebuilt "Mallard" trains in the second half of this year will be the focus of above-the-line activity.

Scott Jefferson, the GNER marketing controller said: "We have a great working relationship with Heresy, which has resulted in some excellent work, and we are keen to keep this continuity as we work towards securing a new franchise. We are also very excited by VCCP's ideas."

Media buying was unaffected by the review and is managed by Pure Media. Be-low the line was retained by Clark Mc Kay & Walpole.