Television Advert Campaign

[Pengi]

That Hornby video is diabolical and a lost opportunity. I remember being disappointed with it at the time. Where is their legendary HST model (recently seen on a re-run of Bullseye)? I think I can make out the motor car in a siding. Hornby produce current generation trains in particular Eurostar, Pendolino, etc. If they are truly going to appeal to all generations, then these trains need to be shown.

If the shopping channels got hold of some Kato bullet train sets, then I reckon they could have them flying off the shelves for Christmas. It fits the 'shopping channel'  bill of being robust, easy to connect and dismantle, has everything on one box, almost 'kid' proof, can fit inside small rooms, plus there are expansion sets that can have trains zooming over each other etc. - and the bullet trains are legendary too.

[Agrippa]

Bring back "Fly Fishing " by J R Hartley! 

[H]

That Hornby video is diabolical and a lost opportunity. I remember being disappointed with it at the time. Where is their legendary HST model (recently seen on a re-run of Bullseye)? I think I can make out the motor car in a siding. Hornby produce current generation trains in particular Eurostar, Pendolino, etc. If they are truly going to appeal to all generations, then these trains need to be shown.

They had a 4-VEP in NSE livery in prominent view along with a whole load of other colourful coaches, but in general in such short snips it is very difficult to discern exactly what type of trains are running/on display. So I doubt that the non-enthusuast, who they are trying to attract, would be worked up about particular trains being 'missing'. Basically they're promoting model trains rather than an Eurostar or Pendo, and I'd have thought that named trains, such the the Flying Scotsman, the Brighton Belle or XXX express, would mean more to non-enthusiasts than a type of unit.

H.

[Tank]

They could make it more exciting by having a group of friends building a layout together, rather than using the old "I'm into railways because my dad was".  Why can't kids just want to get into railways because they think an advert is 'cool'?!     After all, most of the adverts on the children's sky channels show kids playing with toys together, and making them out to be really exciting, without playing on it being nostalgia. 

Not really - TV adverts are not 'selling' to children.

Clearly they are!    Sell the advert to the child and the parents are held hostage into buying the toy.  Works the same with advertising in a supermarket with yoghurts etc!

[Pengi]

They could make it more exciting by having a group of friends building a layout together, rather than using the old "I'm into railways because my dad was".  Why can't kids just want to get into railways because they think an advert is 'cool'?!     After all, most of the adverts on the children's sky channels show kids playing with toys together, and making them out to be really exciting, without playing on it being nostalgia. 

Not really - TV adverts are not 'selling' to children.

I agree Tank. And we don't know what sort of trains they would be interested in - it could easily be the ones they see on the tracks nowadays, e.g. the Pendolinos, HSTs etc. rather than the nostalgic ones after all they are probably more likely to see a HST/Pendo/150/etc than a steamer



Clearly they are!    Sell the advert to the child and the parents are held hostage into buying the toy.  Works the same with advertising in a supermarket with yoghurts etc!

[H]

Clearly they are!    Sell the advert to the child and the parents are held hostage into buying the toy.  Works the same with advertising in a supermarket with yoghurts etc!

Not really. There is no response mechanism in those adverts that the child replies to and orders (unlike DRTV) nor does the child run out on their own to the shop and make a purchase - so they are not sold to. It's the parent who does the purchasing from the shop. The advert only has to instill the desire (an awareness and a want) in the child - not sell to them. And, of course, the parent is not really held hostage. They don't have to make the purchase. If the child was taught that parents don't always purchase everything they want, the parents would get more peace.

H.

[Tank]

Not really. There is no response mechanism in those adverts that the child replies to and orders (unlike DRTV) nor does the child run out on their own to the shop and make a purchase - so they are not sold to. It's the parent who does the purchasing from the shop.

So, no child has ever bought anything that's been on TV? 

[H]

And we don't know what sort of trains they would be interested in - it could easily be the ones they see on the tracks nowadays, e.g. the Pendolinos, HSTs etc. rather than the nostalgic ones after all they are probably more likely to see a HST/Pendo/150/etc than a steamer

Unfortunately that is not entirely true. The trains that are targetted at children and that they see (before experiencing real railways) on TV and in books are kettles; Thomas the Tank, Hogwarts express, Ivor the Engine and so on. Even the Santa's specials for kids are hissing kettles on preserved lines. It's indoctrination.

But yep, on the real railway they are more likely to see multiple units these days. And not just what they might ride on but also what daddy catches to work.

H.

[H]

So, no child has ever bought anything that's been on TV? 

That's not really what I said - the point is about the purpose and aim of the adverts. Very little TV advertising is specifically to sell specific product (except ones like DRTV). It's all about corporate expenditure and building brand awareness and loyalty.

Most people remember the brand foremost. Top recollection to adverts are always about the brand rather than the product. For example; Macdonalds, Audi, DFS, Samsung and Hornby.

H.

[longbridge]

I haven't read all the replies to this thread so forgive me if this has already been said.

Model Railway manufacturers don't need to advertise on TV because the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series did it all for them, Hornby or any other manufacturer could never compete with good old Thomas and his Friends.

[Pengi]

Hornby are still in trouble

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9568187/Is-the-Hornby-express-about-to-hit-the-buffers.html