Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, the popular cross-channel car rail service connecting the UK and France, has this week announced a major rebranding initiative supported by a new ad campaign. Effective immediately, the service will now be known as LeShuttle, with a renewed focus on attracting the affluent millennial demographic. A year away from the 30th anniversary, the distinctive new identity paves the way for a period of exciting modernisation for LeShuttle.
Teaser trailers for the new 60 second primetime TV advert directed by Jake Scott will be broadcast from tonight at 6pm, with the full advert shown on Friday evening. Jake, part of the Ridley Scott dynasty, shot the original ad at the launch of the service nearly 30 years ago and was excited to be asked to come back to make a sequel.
With over 61 million cars carried since the opening of the tunnel in 1994, LeShuttle is the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to cross the Channel. To date it is the only cross-channel operator to have published an annual carbon footprint report and offers by far the most environmentally-friendly cross-Channel service. Carbon emissions are up to 67% less than flying, with an average of 2kg of CO2 per car per crossing. By comparison, a typical Dover-Calais ferry produces 147kg of CO2 per car, a whopping 73x more. With nearly 1 in 4 millennials owning a dog, the ease with which passengers can travel with their pet is also a strong draw – in 2022 over 360,000 pet journeys were undertaken on LeShuttle.
“LeShuttle has always been known for its fast and convenient service, but with this rebrand, we want to take our offering to the next level as an experiential brand rather than just functional,” said Deborah Merrens, CCO of LeShuttle. “Our goal is to provide a premium travel experience that is tailored to the needs and preferences of today’s discerning and eco-conscious travellers. We believe that our rebranding initiative will resonate with a new generation of millennial travellers who may currently be using airlines and passenger train services for short haul travel around Europe. LeShuttle’s door-to-door driving experience provides an unparalleled level of convenience and flexibility, allowing travellers to avoid airport queues, make stops enroute, take their pets, and be in charge of their own schedule.”
The new LeShuttle logo and branding, designed by Landor & Fitch, visually represents what sets LeShuttle apart; its speed, efficiency and sense of care, as well as referencing the feat of infrastructure of the tunnel itself. Elongated letterforms connect to show the user’s movement through the two tunnels in their journey, and the connections in the logo communicate the ease and efficiency with which LeShuttle operates, taking the user from A to B. The primary palette is one of premium monochromes, providing a sophisticated background for secondary and tertiary palettes to shine. The passenger side of the business has a purple palette, created from the mix of the original red and blue of Eurotunnel’s logo.
