Agency: MadeBrave. My role Design Director/Head of Design.
How to make the nation fall in love with bus travel
A full rebrand in parallel with a business transformation programme.
The new logo nods to where First Bus was and reinvents it for today’s customer.
Challenge
The UK bus market has been undergoing unprecedented change. Long-term declining bus use, post-COVID changes to the routines of millions, a rapid switch to EV, the growth of mobile booking and payment, and a political push toward franchising models all underlined an urgent need for renewal.
First Bus, a £1 billion+ market leader who move millions of passengers every day, needed a transformation which responded to these changing times.
In 2022 MadeBrave were trusted to help support and drive the business in a major strategic transformation. For the first time in their 30-year history a full refresh of their brand, strategy and vision – nationwide.
Deliverables
A brand world was developed around the idea of the positive role buses play in society. Captured in the idea ‘Moving the everyday’.
‘Moving the everyday’ informed all aspects of the new visual and verbal identity: a fluid, motion-driven design system and logo, a tonal and messaging framework to inject humanity, embracing imperfections in communications and a new suite of assets that showcase the beauty, magic and humour of the everyday.
This was all housed in a digital asset management system to ensure the First Bus team could execute the brand themselves in the years ahead across the huge range of touch points the brand requires.
Role
As Design Director/Head of Design I led the visual identity aspects of the project over our multi-year client relationship, supported by a team of designers and freelance collaborators. This was a substantial piece of piece of work which touched many hands within the agency. Whilst I led on design, a creative director looked after the manifesto film/launch campaign and our ECD had oversight of work streams.
This whistle-stop tour gives a taste of the new brand world.
A custom typeface to make even the most functional headlines delight.
Life on and around the buses across the UK, brought to life the idea of a journal of the everyday. Documented by photographer Sarah Lee.
An illustration toolkit was crafted creating a library of components and vignettes that bring functional communications to life.
The brand guidelines live on a digital brand home, driving consistency across the country and agency partners.
Launch campaign film ‘My Bus’ launched the new brand, led by our Creative Director. This was the first above the line articulation of the new brand.