| Five and the Dragon Quest - the latest chapter in our Famous Five Adventures Posted by ChrisB at 14:00, 21st February 2026 |     |
From Amanda Burns GWR
In our most ambitious instalment yet, today we’re launching Five and the Dragon Quest - the latest chapter in our Famous Five: Adventures Start Here campaign at Great Western Railway (GWR). The story draws on the myths and legends that have shaped the South West and Wales for generations, reimagined for a modern audience and rooted firmly in the places our railway connects every day.
The 60-second hero film, directed by Oscar and BAFTA-winning animator Peter Baynton, debuts on ITV this evening, and sits at the centre of a fully integrated approach across cinema, TV, VOD, radio, out-of-home and social. Each channel has a clear role – building awareness and distinctiveness while driving leisure demand across our network.
Nine years on, this creative platform continues to demonstrate that long-term creative investment delivers significant commercial return. It was recently recognised by the Advertising Planning Group (APG) for Long Term Thinking and shortlisted in the Sustained Success category at the Effie UK Awards.
This only happens because of the people behind it – colleagues across Great Western Railway, particularly Helen da Costa Chloë Ravat Amy Davies Dan Panes and our partners at adam&eveDDB, Mindshare UK and VCCP Roar.
From Thomas Lydon GWR
The 60-second hero film, directed by Oscar and BAFTA-winning animator Peter Baynton, debuts on ITV this evening, and sits at the centre of a fully integrated approach across cinema, TV, VOD, radio, out-of-home and social. Each channel has a clear role – building awareness and distinctiveness while driving leisure demand across our network.
Nine years on, this creative platform continues to demonstrate that long-term creative investment delivers significant commercial return. It was recently recognised by the Advertising Planning Group (APG) for Long Term Thinking and shortlisted in the Sustained Success category at the Effie UK Awards.
This only happens because of the people behind it – colleagues across Great Western Railway, particularly Helen da Costa Chloë Ravat Amy Davies Dan Panes and our partners at adam&eveDDB, Mindshare UK and VCCP Roar.
From Thomas Lydon GWR
Today, we have launched our new Famous Five advertising campaign, which debuts on ITV's Britain's Got Talent tonight.
The new chapter of our award-winning Famous Five series draws inspiration from GWR’s 1920s publicity campaigns, when the company first used myths and legends to promote travel to an emerging tourism market.
By utilising this storied archive, we are aiming to reconnect modern leisure travellers with the myths, legends and landscapes that have long defined the region - reframing rail not simply as transport, but as the beginning of adventure.
‘Five and the Dragon Quest’ film – which will be shown on television, cinema and video-on-demand – aims to boost leisure travel on the GWR network, which covers the south-west of England and Wales, including destinations like Cardiff, Penzance, Bath and Oxford. The campaign aims to increase revenue levels and as a result reduce the level of taxpayer subsidy received.
You can view the new 60-second film in Amanda Burns link above
The new chapter of our award-winning Famous Five series draws inspiration from GWR’s 1920s publicity campaigns, when the company first used myths and legends to promote travel to an emerging tourism market.
By utilising this storied archive, we are aiming to reconnect modern leisure travellers with the myths, legends and landscapes that have long defined the region - reframing rail not simply as transport, but as the beginning of adventure.
‘Five and the Dragon Quest’ film – which will be shown on television, cinema and video-on-demand – aims to boost leisure travel on the GWR network, which covers the south-west of England and Wales, including destinations like Cardiff, Penzance, Bath and Oxford. The campaign aims to increase revenue levels and as a result reduce the level of taxpayer subsidy received.
You can view the new 60-second film in Amanda Burns link above
