City of Vancouver

Explore the magic of Stanley Park.

MEET THE CLIENT

Welcoming over 200,000 visitors annually, the Stanley Park Railway is popular with locals and tourists alike. The 20 gauge, 2 kilometer track winds through the forest over ground cleared by Typhoon Freda, the most devastating storm in Vancouver history which blew through in 1962.

Passengers can get a close-up look at a vintage engine before boarding for the 15-minute ride.

Projects Completed:

REX has been the trusted creative partner for the Vancouver Park Board’s Stanley Park Railway since 2010. Each year, we collaborate to conceptualize the visuals for their themed events, including:

Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train
Bright Nights at Stanley Park
Urban Forest Train (Summer)
The Easter Fair
Birthday Train Packages

Ghost Train Through the Years

The Background

Each year, the Stanley Park Railway works with theatre production company Mortal Coil to conceptualize a spectacular spooky theme for the Ghost Train. Mortal Coil directs the set designs, performers, costumes, and artistic direction for the overall theme.

REX is given paintings that illustrate the theme, and we produce all creative signage, marketing, and promotional assets for the event. Often layering on the existing artwork, we ensure Stanley Park Railway’s campaign artwork highlights the event theme in a way that speaks to target audiences and delivers the important event information clearly.

AUDIENCE

Primary Audiences

Families! Parents bring their young children to experience the Stanley Park Ghost Train, during the day or after dark. They expect a family-friendly experience that will leave their young ones feeling wonder and awe.
Tourists — People from around the world come to visit Stanley Park, a Vancouver landmark.

OUR STRATEGY AND APPROACH

In each campaign, we give the audience a glimpse into what to expect from the Ghost Train experience. We are tasked to illustrate the theme, while not giving too much away. We still need the audience to be surprised and delighted when they arrive at the event.

While one of our goals is to immerse the audience into the theme, we also need to have the aspect of the train at the forefront, as the railway is the centre of the experience.