"Amtrak's Family Plan" advertisment, 1973.
Printed paper insertion proof of an advertisement created in 1973 to promote Amtrak Family plan discounts.
- Advertisement Details
-
- Date Archived:
- March 20, 2015
- Geography:
- National
- Decade:
- 1970s
- Data Format:
- Image
- Date Created:
- 1973
- Download the full-sized version of this photo
This advertisement was one in a series created for Amtrak between 1971 and 1973 by the Ted Bates agency of New York City. In a letter to Amtrak, the agency noted that advertising was placed in newspapers, radio, television and magazines, but the first two were preferred "because of their ability to present local information and immediate impact."
With the Amtrak Family Plan, the head of the family paid full fare; spouse and children 12-21 paid two thirds fare; children 5-11 paid one third fare; and children under 5 generally rode free. To appeal to families, the copy emphasizes the ability to walk about the train and order from a child's menu.
At the bottom of the ad is one of the company's early slogans: "We're making the trains worth traveling again." In its first years of operation, Amtrak strove to improve the customer experience by upgrading rolling stock and station facilities acquired from predecessor railroads, as well as instituting a comprehensive national reservations system.
From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.