[1] Although a state-owned corporation at the time, British Rail was under pressure to operate on a more commercial basis.

[2][3] The agency reportedly won the pitch to BR by keeping their visiting executives waiting for a long time in a dirty room, surrounded by overflowing ashtrays and coffee-stained furniture; after the executives' patience came to an end and they were about to leave in disgust, Marsh entered the room to greet them, explaining that their treatment had been a ruse to illustrate the customer experience of BR, and that his agency would be able to put it right.

[4][5] The campaign helped to challenge the image of British Rail from a stale and lifeless nationalised industry into a vibrant commercial tool ready for the Thatcherite 'enterprise culture' of the 1980s.

The campaign appealed to this growing Conservatism by promoting images of British Rail's sound financial competence, comparatively cheap operation compared to European railways, and an attempt to demonstrate how railway travel helped to reinforce security in the average family.

[6] Savile was selected to front the advertising campaign because, at the time, he was perceived as being both a popular and family-friendly television personality.