AMTRAK - ACELA

Introduction campaign for Amtrak's high-speed Acela train. The train can get up to a speed of almost 200 mph but unfortunately never does. That's because it runs on a track system dating back to the 19th century. There are a few stretches along the Eastern Seaboard where it is allowed to go around 135 mph, weather permitting. Imagine a new dedicated track. A trip between Washington DC and NYC would take somewhere between 1 and 2 hours. Maybe one day? It would require massive regulations, property shifts and relocations between 5 States. This campaign set off quite some reactions. National Public Radio called it "An attention getting effort to elevate train travel to where it once was." The ideas were interpreted directly from conversations with dedicated Amtrak passengers. They described their personal feelings while traveling by train. From dreaming to reading to pondering to discovering, people felt very protective and defensive about 'their' trains. It was their time-off or time-on. Doing nothing or being productive, they all love life on their trains. The campaign ran for nine years inside major train stations, painted on buildings, and in Time Square.

With Ken Shuldman.