DSB is the Danish state-owned railway company that holds a monopoly on train traffic in Denmark.

Occasional train delays and rail repairs has made DSB a favorite target for customer complaints and negative media attention, and DSB must work extra hard to earn the positive stories that can improve the public perception of the brand.

Especially capturing the attention of its younger audience feels increasingly challenging for a traditional brand like a state-owned railway company.

But as it turns out, DSB has a hidden superpower:

Enter Simone Sørensen, a 25-year-old DSB train conductor and TikTok creator, who uses her platform to share a behind-the-scenes look at life on the rails, breaking the stereotypical image of the profession, effortlessly sparking the curiosity of a generation that might have otherwise ignored the brand.

When, one day, Simone casually tossed a loose idea in a TikTok post – “how about we throw a party on the DSB train?” – the response was overwhelming. Among the supporters was Rune Rask, a renowned DJ in the legendary Danish rap-group “Suspekt”.

This serendipitous connection on TikTok ignited a conversation that turned into an unexpected collaboration between DSB, a young train conductor and a famous DJ, to launch a first-of-its-kind techno rave a moving train.

The unlikely partnership led to an unexpected idea:

The Techno Train.
One-of-a-kind techno rave on a moving train.

By blending underground music culture with a legacy brand like DSB, the ambition was to create an event that was authentic, playful and thrilling. Breaking with conventional marketing The Techno Train turned an online community into real-life participants to create an organic, culturally relevant experience—a techno rave on wheels.

Hence, the collaboration between a DSB train conductor and a well-known DJ helped reimagine what the DSB brand could be—innovative, disruptive, and cool.

The Techno Train was not just about throwing a techno rave on a train—it was about positioning DSB as a brand that understands Danish youth culture by engaging with its younger audience in a genuine and unexpected way.

The idea played to in the insight that young people increasingly value spontaneous, real-life human experiences over digital interactions—a global trend coined Social Re-wilding in this years’ Accenture Life Trends report.

Building from this insight we crafted a “grassroots strategy” to turn The Techno Train into a cultural phenomenon that felt intimate and co-created by the community:

Rather than using traditional advertising, the event was promoted through train conductor Simone’s and DJ Rune Rask’s TikTok channels, offering unpolished, authentic content. Other influencers organically spread the word. Flyers with a simple QR code, reminiscent of underground rave flyers, were placed discreetly in urban areas, adding to the event’s air of cool secrecy.

To build the hype we leveraged the power of scarcity: Tickets to join The Tecnho Train could only be won via a lottery on TikTok, reinforcing the event’s community-driven feel.

On the night of the event, a full DSB train consisting of 6 train cars was transformed into an underground techno club.

Literally.

The Techno Train featured a massive dancefloor and light show, with Rune Rask live DJ'ing a high-energy techno set to create an unforgettable atmosphere. The energy was turned up a notch with surprise appearances from Suspekt, arguably the most respected hip-hop group in Denmark over the past 20 years.

As The Techno Train ran between stations across Copenhagen—from Østerbro to Høje Taastrup—the train doors opened to welcome the 800 lucky winners who had been granted exclusive access to the event. They immediately hit the dancefloor.

Influencers who had interacted with Simone on TikTok were also invited, and their live-streamed content helped amplify the story as the rave unfolded in real-time. Once the sweaty participants finally left the train, they were all handed Techno Train hoodies, further cementing the connection to the DSB brand.

The idea was executed to seamlessly bridge digital and physical worlds, amplified by a unique location and genuine community involvement.

On a zero-media budget the results of The Techno Train were extraordinary:

• The event generated over 11,000,000 earned media impressions. For context, the entire Danish population is 5.5 million people.

• It generated 9 million organic views on TikTok and Instagram across Simone’s and Rune’s channels.

• The event’s content received over 550,000 interactions, proving the engagement of the target audience.

• Prior to the event, DSB received over 10,000 entries by young people wanting to attend.

• The Techno Train also attracted the attention of major national media outlets like Go’ Morgen Live, the most popular morning TV show in Denmark, as well leading newspapers Ekstra Bladet and Berlingske Tidende.

• DJ Rune Rask’s track, “Techno-Toget,” produced uniquely for the event, was streamed well over 70,000 times on Spotify and received 350 TikTok stitches.

Overall, the event sparked an unprecedented, positive conversation about DSB amongst their younger audience, and turned Simone, a young DSB train conductor, into a content creator with a massive influence.

The Techno Train wasn’t just a techno rave on wheels—for DSB, it demonstrated how even a legacy brand often caught in the crossfire of negative press stories, can be culturally relevant by engaging with its audience in genuine and surprising ways.