Focused tennis player with a determined expression prepares to hit a ball, holding a racket against a deep pink background.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CAMPAIGN

22.6% more ticket purchases and £2.3 million in extra revenue, a 4 to 1 return, for a national rail operator.

As Design Lead at Havas CX Helia, I led a team of 12 designers on a rail operator’s affordable travel campaigns, shaping the briefs, signing off the work and presenting it to the client. The work covered personalised emails to over 280,000 customers, plus social, digital display, audio and station posters. We worked with a creative agency, and with data and development teams, to promote weekend breaks, family tickets, group travel and digital railcards.

PROBLEM

With over 1.5 million passengers a week, every touchpoint had to feel like one brand, and nudge people towards buying a ticket.

SOLUTION

A personalised design system built around the operator’s own photography and typography, with illustration and hero images that changed for each customer and region.

Tennis ball on a sunlit court with a blurred blue backdrop and green foliage. The scene conveys a sense of calm and anticipation before a match.
Tennis ball on a sunlit court with a blurred blue backdrop and green foliage. The scene conveys a sense of calm and anticipation before a match.
A tennis bag on a court holds several tennis balls, a water bottle, and a navy cap. Sunlight casts long shadows, suggesting a warm, sunny day.
A tennis bag on a court holds several tennis balls, a water bottle, and a navy cap. Sunlight casts long shadows, suggesting a warm, sunny day.
Person wearing white sneakers and striped socks on a tennis court. A wooden racket and six yellow tennis balls are scattered nearby, casting shadows.
Person wearing white sneakers and striped socks on a tennis court. A wooden racket and six yellow tennis balls are scattered nearby, casting shadows.

BEHIND THE WORK

Challenges & Wins

The challenge was turning one national brand into regional stories. The campaign ran in four regions, and the emails showed events, places and fares based on where each customer lived or usually travelled. The hero images, headlines and subject lines also changed for younger travellers, families and seniors.


We worked alongside the agency’s big, national campaign assets, so I used our own design system to make every email, social post and ad feel like one seamless experience. I worked closely with the data and development teams to make the personalisation work at scale.


The result: ticket purchases up 22.6%, £2.3 million in extra revenue and a 4 to 1 return. It showed that good customer experience design directly drives business results.

A focused tennis player in a white outfit and visor, holding a racket, stands poised on a red tennis court. The scene conveys intensity and concentration.
A focused tennis player in a white outfit and visor, holding a racket, stands poised on a red tennis court. The scene conveys intensity and concentration.

View Next Project