They’re only a ‘Guilt Trip’ away

V/Line Trains
Victorian Government
Regional Public Transport Victoria

Digital Campaign

This is a story about the extraordinary power of guilt to motivate family and friends to visit their loved one’s in the country and sell a whole load of train tickets to boot.

The trains hardest to fill are those travelling against commuter traffic and those in the middle of the day. They represented a huge opportunity.

V/Line’s solution was to create a brand new, highly functional product delivered through one of the most powerful emotional lenses.

Guilt.

Campaign Case Study

Graphic of a city with text, clouds, and ducks; includes a form for sending a "Guilt Trip" message.

To leverage the power of guilt, online films ‘The art of the Guilt Trip’, Guilt Trip ‘How to’ handbooks and regional media, focussed on teaching country people about the power of guilt and how to use it.

Through a new ticket sales platform – Guilttrips.com.au, people were then able send personalised messages of guilt and pre-paid V/ Line train tickets to their city dwelling loved ones. 

‘The Backflip’ Social Media Content

‘The Pub’ Social Media Content

‘The Message’ Social Media Content

Train station with advertisement poster, featuring text promoting a service and two trains on either side.
Subway station with brick wall and advertisement poster, two green benches
Pat Baron VLine Guilt Trip Vimeo Case Study.jpg

V/Line Trains
Victorian Government
Regional Public Transport Victoria

Handwritten text: 'Bringing country towns back to life one GUILT TRIP at a time.'