CROSSCOUNTRY UNVEILS GIANT MANCHESTER MURAL CELEBRATING THE STORIES WE BRING HOME

CrossCountry has unveiled a new large-scale mural in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, transforming a city wall into a giant fridge door covered with travel mementoes, postcards, photographs and keepsakes collected from journeys across the UK.

Created with McCann in Birmingham, Been There, Seen That is the latest expression of CrossCountry‘s Take Us On Your Journey brand platform, celebrating the memories, connections and stories that sit behind every trip.

Building on the success of the brand’s previous mural activation, The Embrace, in Leeds last year, the new installation forms part of CrossCountry’s ongoing commitment in large-scale out-of-home activity. Designed to create memorable moments in the places CrossCountry serves, the brand’s murals use public art to tell bold stories, celebrate local communities and reinforce CrossCountry’s role in connecting people and places in a way few other media can.

The striking installation turns a familiar household sight into a larger-than-life piece of public art. The mural evokes the fridge doors many families use to display treasured souvenirs, snapshots and reminders of time spent with loved ones, highlighting how travel is often about much more than the destination itself.

To bring the idea to life, CrossCountry partnered with Global Street Art and acclaimed mural artist Peter Barber, with every element painted by hand to create a vibrant addition to Manchester’s renowned street art scene.

The work reflects CrossCountry’s belief that every rail journey begins with a human reason for travelling, whether that’s reuniting with family, seeing friends or creating new memories together.

David Mullins, head of brand, communications and digital strategy at CrossCountry, said: “The best souvenirs aren’t the things we buy, they’re the stories behind them. We wanted to create something that would make people smile, spark a memory and maybe even inspire their next CrossCountry journey.” 

“Every CrossCountry journey starts with a human reason for travelling, whether that’s visiting family, catching up with friends or making new memories together. That’s why we’re continuing to commit to large-scale murals as part of our out-of-home brand activity. These installations allow us to create impactful, memorable moments that celebrate the places we serve, tell authentic human stories and reinforce CrossCountry’s role in connecting people and places. We hope this mural inspires people to reflect on the people they’d travel for and the memories that make those journeys meaningful.”

Barrie Robinson, creative at McCann in Birmingham, said: “The most powerful travel stories aren’t about where we go, they’re about who we’re going to see and the memories we bring back with us. Been There, Seen That takes an instantly recognisable part of everyday life and turns it into something impossible to ignore, celebrating the real human connections at the heart of the CrossCountry brand. It’s playful, warm and designed to leave people smiling long after they’ve passed it.”

The mural was developed by McCann Birmingham’s integrated team spanning creative, client leadership and PR disciplines. It will be live throughout August in Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter of Manchester.

Source: McCann Birmingham

  CrossCountry, Manchester, Marketing, McCann, McCann Birmingham, OOH, UK