As we head back to BR ... a new look for the logo

[whole diary]

[CyclingSid]

Tut, tut. Corporate branding firms have got to make a living you know!

[FarWestJohn]

What a mess.

[johnneyw]

It seems to me that this logo is specifically to be used for the "green" publicity campaign and is no more likely to replace the original than an image of The Famous Five is destined to replace the current GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo.

[TaplowGreen]

It seems to me that this logo is specifically to be used for the "green" publicity campaign and is no more likely to replace the original than an image of The Famous Five is destined to replace the current GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo.

Both will cost ridiculous amounts of money however.

[Red Squirrel]

It seems to me that this logo is specifically to be used for the "green" publicity campaign and is no more likely to replace the original than an image of The Famous Five is destined to replace the current GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo.

Both will cost ridiculous amounts of money however.

Ridiculous?

Presumably both GWR and the RDG^‡(resolve) measure the cost and effectiveness of their campaigns, and decide whether to continue funding them accordingly. GWR must think their 'Famous Five' campaign is worthwhile, or they wouldn't have relaunched it.

[stuving]

It seems to me that this logo is specifically to be used for the "green" publicity campaign and is no more likely to replace the original than an image of The Famous Five is destined to replace the current GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo.

Both will cost ridiculous amounts of money however.

Ridiculous?

Presumably both GWR and the RDG^‡(resolve) measure the cost and effectiveness of their campaigns, and decide whether to continue funding them accordingly. GWR must think their 'Famous Five' campaign is worthwhile, or they wouldn't have relaunched it.

I don't imagine National Rail/RDG/whatever next have that big a publicity budget to spend. It's a media campaign, so they have created a web site for it and poked a few journos in the ribs.

The launch material said:

With only weeks until COP26, the UN climate summit (1 – 12 November 2021) in Glasgow, people will see the iconic British Rail double arrow logo go green as rail companies bring home the message of how getting people and goods onto trains and off roads will help in the fight against climate change. Posters will be at stations, on board trains and across digital channels.

Thousands of delegates are expected to arrive at the event by train and while in Glasgow they will have the opportunity to take a trip on zero emissions hydrogen and battery trains which are being exhibited at COP. Prior to the climate summit, from 18-24 October, community groups will also be putting on a series of events across the country encouraging people to try the train as part of ‘green travel week’, organised by the Community Rail Network.

So presumably operating companies will do a few tweet-and-headline-targeted "events" on the same theme.

[Lee]

Perhaps they should look back at classic designs to demonstrate how far we have moved on in the modern era:



Then again...

[PhilWakely]

I suggests somebody gets hold of a copy of this - I'll lend them mine if they can't find one......

[paul7575]

If only their press release had included the word “ temporarily”, the rail enthusiast’s internet wouldn’t have slowed down at all… 

Paul

[grahame]

Reaction from the professionals in Design Week

Designers on British Rail’s logo update: “The worst sustainability-by-numbers thinking”

National Rail raised eyebrows this week with a green revamp of its logo – we spoke to designers including Astrid Stavro and Matt Baxter about the change.

But then ... doesn't the very fact it's generated such outrage prove that it's reaching people as intended 

[stuving]

Reaction from the professionals in Design Week

Designers on British Rail’s logo update: “The worst sustainability-by-numbers thinking”

National Rail raised eyebrows this week with a green revamp of its logo – we spoke to designers including Astrid Stavro and Matt Baxter about the change.

But then ... doesn't the very fact it's generated such outrage prove that it's reaching people as intended 

Perhaps it's understandable that "design" professionals should react to the design per se, and ignore the words. But even they are not justified (and still less other media) to dismiss it is only greenifying a logo and criticise the campaign as being nothing but the logo-tinkering, or as doing nothing to decarbonise the railways or attract passengers. In a literal sense no campaign ever does anything, it can only entice and prod others. Decrying the campaign for what it doesn't contain, and making it hard to find by not providing a link to it (while there is a link to other advers comment), looks distinctly self-serving.

It's as if they had not looked at the RDG^‡(resolve)'s message at all! Mind you, the same is true of (almost?) everyone else too. If you do, it's surprising how much of it is pitched to government, to get them to simplify fares (in a particular RDG-preferred way), and start a rolling electrification program.

So, if you are a grouping of businesses which never had much control over how green your railway was, and will have less in the future, and as RDG have limited influence on anything, how do you put over such a message? You could also ask why they are bothering to. But ultimately the message (like most anti-apple-pie campaigns) isn't good news in itself, so any headlines grabbed will be about something else - this logo, a claim too far over the top, or of course "demonstrating" as now understood by the self-righteous.