Francis Bourgeois and the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) prominently feature in an advert created for collaborating fashion brands North Face x Gucci.
The advert stars the KWVR’s Standard Class 2 78022 and Francis Bourgeois, who has become a trainspotting sensation on the video-sharing site TikTok.
Francis Bourgeois has risen to fame with over two million followers on the social media platform watching light-hearted videos of his adventures watching trains across the country.
Through his positivity and joyful nature, he has endeared himself to the public, and can often be seen sprinting down station platforms chasing locomotives with a GoPro camera attached to his head facing inwards, giving a fish-eye effect of Francis’s face.
In the advert, Oakworth station on the KWVR was transported from Yorkshire to the Swiss Alps, where mountains form a backdrop to a train steaming through the countryside. Superimposed on top of the West Yorkshire scenery is a snow-topped mountain, to fit the advert’s Alpine theme.
Oakworth station has been disguised to look like it belongs in the Alpine setting and appears to be called “Sorbier”.
Oakworth is seen with a steam train hauled by 78022 and conducted by Francis rolling into the station, before moving off around half a minute later. Through the platform’s tannoy Francis announces the arriving train is the “9.30 Summit Ascent” service.
The camera then pans across the station platform where people clad in North Face and Gucci gear are wandering around, while others head into a photobooth.
Francis reverts to his playful persona by jumping around in the station building, before being seen on the platform blowing a whistle to send the train on its way.
Onboard the train, Francis greets the passengers with “Hello everyone, welcome aboard the Summit Ascent service. Please remember to take in the exquisite scenery as we go by.”
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is then shown in its full glory, with the advert interspersing shots outside the train as it moves along with various scenes inside of people in the sponsors’ clothing.
The final clip is of the train hurtling along with steam billowing behind it, with a snowclad mountain backdrop.
Responses
Francis Bourgeois is becoming a internet sensation.