DDB Paris creates a new service for the French rail booking site Voyages-sncf.com. “The Escape Service” lets people escape to any destination they want by simply pushing a magical red button.
Together with the French collective Pleix, they design three celebrations that emerge from a 3×3 meter black box that unfolds like a giant jack-in-the-box. In Paris, the cube lures passers-by in, asks where they want to go, then bursts into a destination-themed surprise and hands out a mock ticket for the chosen trip.
In European rail and travel marketing, turning an abstract promise like “escape” into a public, physical moment helps people imagine the journey instantly.
The film also ends by inviting viewers to press the button themselves and experience a first-person view version of the Escape Service.
A black box that behaves like a travel shortcut
The mechanism is deliberately minimal. There is one obvious choice, press the red button. The payoff is oversized, because the box transforms into a celebration that makes “go anywhere” feel real without explaining routes, prices, or schedules.
Why the red button is the real interface
The button turns travel intent into an action you can perform in one second. That matters because it removes hesitation. You do not need to “plan” to participate. You only need curiosity, and the street does the rest.
What the campaign is really proving for Voyages-sncf.com
This is not about a single destination. It is about choice and immediacy. The idea says: if you can decide on the spot, you can book on the spot. The mock ticket detail pushes the story from spectacle into something you can take away and show.
What to steal for your next service launch
- Reduce the interaction to one decision. One button is better than a menu when you need street participation.
- Make the reward visible to bystanders. If spectators can understand the payoff, the crowd recruits the next person.
- Personalize the outcome fast. A destination choice and a ticket-like takeaway make the moment feel “mine”.
- Bridge offline to online without forcing it. A first-person online version extends reach without changing the story.
A few fast answers before you act
What is “The Escape Service” for Voyages-sncf.com?
It is a public pop-up experience where a black box invites people to press a red button, choose a destination, and trigger a surprise celebration that dramatizes the idea of escaping by train.
Why use a red button and a box?
Because it is self-explanatory. A single button removes friction and creates a clear before-and-after moment that people remember and film.
What makes this more than a stunt?
The mechanic maps cleanly to the service promise: pick a destination and go. The mock ticket detail turns the experience into a personal travel intent, not only entertainment.
How does this support online booking?
It makes “decide and book” feel effortless. The film’s first-person online extension reinforces that the same impulse can continue digitally.
What is the transferable lesson for service marketing?
When your product is intangible, build a physical interface that compresses the benefit into one action and one memorable payoff.