All change please: SomeOne rebrands Thameslink.
SomeOne has created new branding for the Thameslink and Great Northern train operating companies. It follows the rebranding of the South Eastern network.
All part of GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), the bid for the networks was won from First Capital Connect back in May 2014. The GTR network includes the new Thameslink and Great Northern lines, as well as Southern and Gatwick Express.
It forms the UK’s biggest ever rail franchise; 22% of all passenger train services.
The identity has been specifically designed to make the most of the future of the GTR network, pointing to a new direction, and vitally new connections – whilst being considerate of the past franchises, and the heritage of the network names that had existed prior to the First Capital Connect line.
Katy Taylor, Group Marketing Director said “Someone has created a brand which translates smoothly across the inherited estate of the previous franchise. The brand feels fresh and new, which demonstrates our commitment to bringing new life to the Thameslink and Great Northern train lines”.
The colours have been carefully chosen to help aid the link between the two connecting Thameslink and Great Northern lines, whilst also ensuring that they are able to work with the colour of previous branded rolling stock, saving considerable cost in having to repaint an entire fleet immediately – diverting funds from rail and station improvement, at the outset of the franchise.
The overarching customer benefit of the ‘helping hand’, currently applied to the South Eastern network is being rolled out across the two new networks.
A perfect demonstration of ‘BrandWorld’ thinking, where the logo forms only a small part of the overall branding approach and customer benefit.
The logo, colour and typeface deliver to a pragmatic business; while the helping hands are free to add benefit to the customer, to point out what’s new, what’s special, what’s improved.
The ‘helping hands’ are also a useful coherent branding element that can help travellers who cross networks, where previously they would simply be met by new and different identities – they are now met by a recognisable, useful helping hand. Uniting what was previously separate.