Consumers in cafés, restaurants and shops across London have been encountering girls with alluring French accents suggesting that they may prefer eating and shopping in Lille more than the capital, as part of a campaign to promote short breaks to the French city by Eurostar.

This is an example of how face-to-face activity is being used more and more as an effective and engaging way to lead or support other media as part of an overall marketing campaign.

Target individuals receive a leaflet, which details the delights of Lille’s cafés, restaurants and shopping facilities, as well as directing people to www.eurostar.com/aquickfrenchfix, where they can enter a competition to win an all-expenses-paid weekend in the city. Almost 80,000 leaflets are being given out the hit squad, reaching an estimated 100,000 Londoners.

“This is a tongue-in-cheek way of evoking the whole French experience,” commented Vicki Anstey, Eurostar advertising and media manager. “No one expects a French frisson on the streets of London, so suddenly bringing a little bit of Lille to Londoners reminds them of how easily the reality can be reached. Once they realise how close Lille is and the comfort Eurostar offers in getting them there, they start to think about popping over to see it.”