Trainline’s sustainability movement, I Came by Train, has launched its latest campaign, Bums on Board – a cheeky yet impactful initiative designed to encourage more Brits to swap at least one car journey for a train ride.
With actor and comedian Asim Chaudhry lending his voice to the campaign’s irreverent call to action, Bums on Board is trying to prove that tackling climate change can be as simple as sitting down.
Transport remains the UK’s largest source of carbon emissions, and shifting from car travel to rail is a significant step toward reducing the country’s environmental footprint. Trainline’s I Came by Train initiative, launched in 2022, has already prompted over 30,000 people to pledge to switch from car to train, with activations ranging from a national campaign featuring Craig David to partnerships with Glastonbury and Premier League clubs.
When you think of sustainability messaging, dire warnings and guilt-inducing statistics usually come to mind, but Trainline wanted to take a different approach. Enter Bums on Board, an unapologetically fun and engaging campaign created by digital agency DEPT and directed by Glenn Kitson.
„Real change can be simple, and so is our mission,“ says DEPT creative director Bel Moretti. „We knew swapping just one car ride for rail this year could greatly impact our collective emissions, so our solution was to get more bums on train seats in 2025.“
By using humour and cultural references, the campaign sidesteps the doom-and-gloom messaging typically associated with climate change, instead opting for a more approachable tone. Moretti adds, „We recognised the need to break through the noise of fear-mongering and blame, so our strategy was to adopt a refreshingly positive and posterior-laden tone.“
Surprisingly, Bums on Board draws heavily on the rebellious aesthetics of Britain’s punk era, incorporating bold, clashing colours, torn imagery, and deliberately ‚wonky‘ typography inspired by independent fanzines. This anti-establishment approach serves as a playful counterpoint to the often polished and corporate look of sustainability campaigns.
Explaining the creative direction, Moretti says: „The campaign takes cues from the bold, rebellious spirit of punk, a key element of British pop culture, resonating with our audience’s cultural zeitgeist while highlighting its unique traits.“
Adding to the campaign’s irreverent tone is Chaudhry, who voices the manifesto with his signature comedic flair. „We needed a British icon, a big, bold voice with the right humour and cheeky tone,“ says Moretti. „Asim’s got huge comic chops and brought the message to life in such a playful way, we couldn’t have asked for more.“
One of the campaign’s key messages is that sustainability doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. By making a single small change – switching just one car journey for a train ride – individuals can collectively make a massive impact on emissions.
„It’s not often an individual feels they have the power to make a real difference,“ says Moretti. „So when something as tangible as switching one journey for rail can have an enormous impact, it feels like the right time to challenge the idea that we can’t achieve much by sitting on our bums.“
Trainline’s brand lead, Emily Webb, echoes this sentiment: „Carbon doesn’t have to be complicated, and small positive changes can be just that—small and positive. Swapping just one journey really can have a massive impact.“
The Bums on Board campaign extends beyond traditional advertising, with Trainline enlisting social media creators as ‚ambASSadors‘ to spread the message in an organic and entertaining way (yes, you read that right).
Moretti explains: „We wanted to enlist as many bums as possible to our peachy little cause.
„Creators help push the message forward, encouraging people to get their bums on board, and give us the flexibility to focus on key parts of the manifesto.“
Since launching, the campaign has sparked discussion across digital channels, with audiences embracing its cheeky messaging. „We’re doing our job if the work is talked about, and it’s definitely achieved that,“ says Moretti. „There’s been lots of praise for taking a humorous and positive approach to sustainability in a world of fear-mongering films.“
With transport emissions still a major contributor to climate change, Trainline has ambitious plans to continue expanding the I Came by Train movement. Future activations will build on key partnerships with Glastonbury and Premier League clubs while exploring new ways to inspire people to choose rail travel.
“ into German with some mistakes or typos:
Der Nachhaltigkeitsbewegung der Trainline, I Came by Train, hat ihre neueste Kampagne, Bums on Board, gestartet – eine freche und dennoch wirkungsvolle Initiative, die mehr Briten dazu ermutigen soll, zumindest eine Autofahrt gegen eine Zugfahrt einzutauschen.
Mit dem Schauspieler und Comedian Asim Chaudhry, der seine Stimme für den provokativen Aufruf der Kampagne leiht, versucht Bums on Board zu beweisen, dass der Kampf gegen den Klimawandel so einfach sein kann wie Sitzen.
Verkehr ist nach wie vor die größte Quelle für Kohlenstoffemissionen im Vereinigten Königreich, und der Wechsel vom Autofahren zum Zugfahren ist ein bedeutender Schritt zur Reduzierung des ökologischen Fußabdrucks des Landes. Die Initiative I Came by Train von Trainline, die 2022 ins Leben gerufen wurde, hat bereits über 30.000 Menschen dazu veranlasst, sich zu verpflichten, vom Auto auf den Zug umzusteigen, mit Aktivierungen von einer nationalen Kampagne mit Craig David bis hin zu Partnerschaften mit Glastonbury und Premier League-Vereinen.
Wenn Sie an Nachhaltigkeitsbotschaften denken, kommen normalerweise düstere Warnungen und schuldinduzierende Statistiken in den Sinn, aber Trainline wollte einen anderen Ansatz wählen. Herein Bums on Board, eine unverblümt lustige und ansprechende Kampagne, die von der digitalen Agentur DEPT erstellt und von Glenn Kitson geleitet wurde.
„Echte Veränderung kann einfach sein, und das ist auch unser Ziel“, sagt DEPT-Kreativdirektor Bel Moretti. „Wir wussten, dass der Wechsel nur einer Autofahrt für den Zug in diesem Jahr unsere kollektiven Emissionen stark beeinflussen könnte, also war unsere Lösung, 2025 mehr Hintern auf Zugplätze zu bekommen.“
Durch den Einsatz von Humor und kulturellen Referenzen umgeht die Kampagne die düsteren Botschaften, die normalerweise mit dem Klimawandel verbunden sind, und entscheidet sich stattdessen für einen zugänglicheren Ton. Moretti fügt hinzu: „Wir erkannten die Notwendigkeit, sich von der Lärm von Angstmacherei und Schuldzuweisungen zu lösen, also war unsere Strategie, einen erfrischend positiven und hinterenlastigen Ton anzunehmen.“