Train operator Greater Anglia has unveiled its 2024 festive campaign, ‘Christmas lights’, which also introduces its new creative platform, ‘It’s Great Out There’. The Christmas campaign and platform, featuring the return of the iconic Greater Anglia Red Hare, were developed in partnership with Atomic London following its appointment as Greater Anglia’s integrated creative agency earlier this year. The first work to launch since Greater Anglia selected Atomic London in May aims to boost sales of trips to London and across East Anglia this Christmas. It uses a two-pronged strategy: seeking to inspire a broad audience of existing train users to choose Greater Anglia for their festive travel, while also targeting families with children aged 5 to 16 through more focused activity. The campaign sees the debut of an emotive new creative platform, ‘It’s Great Out There’, which positions Greater Anglia as the enabler that connects you to the people and places that bring you joy. The festive push is based on the insight that for Greater Anglia customers, Christmas is as much about the build-up as it is the day itself. However, amidst all of the preparation, shopping trips and days out, it’s easy to lose sight of the important human connections that make the Christmas period truly meaningful, even if things don’t always go to plan. This inspired Atomic London to create a relatable and inspiring campaign that gives families and friends a great excuse to connect with Greater Anglia. Inspired by Chevy Chase’s Christmas lights disaster in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, this 30-second film, directed by Ivan Bird of Missing Link Films, features a family's humorous plight with Christmas lights that fail to illuminate and mistakenly spell ‘fart’ in a greeting to Father Christmas. Guided by the Greater Anglia Red Hare, they hop on a train bound for London, seeking to experience ‘some proper Christmas lights.’ Their adventurous journey culminates in a magical scene on London’s South Bank, beautifully capturing the spirit of the holiday season. The ad features the track ‘I won’t let it die’ by US hip hop act Ugly Duckling.