Arriva New Logo

[Tetchytyke]

I think Stenning's style is getting rather samey at times

Agreed, he has a default style and never deviates from it. His recent job for Arriva and Stagecoach on their joint 685 Newcastle-Carlisle service couldn't be any more derivative if it tried.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/32056896974/in/pool-3108859@N23/

 

[johnw]

Do you reckon? Their approach is different to Stenning's, but personally I think Stenning's style is getting rather samey at times. To me it still makes everything look like Trent Barton - his default style is almost typecast.

I agree with to a point Neil, but any artist or designer is going to have his/her own personal style look at Turner, Monet or van Gogh etc. I was never keen on some of the earlier liveries he did for Trent.

What Best Impressions does well is understanding the shape of body of the bus and train. The company also gets the finer details correct. South West Falcon, East Midlands Trains, X5, etc. Its when local Stagecoach operating companies are allowed to play with the scheme i.e. North East's 'Zone' - which looks like something out of a 90's nightclub or messing around with the Gold brand with the horrid new WIFI and USB logos.

Apart from www.lambie-nairn.com who designed First's 'dynamic lines' livery, nobody else seems to be able to step up in terms of transport livery designs.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Apart from www.lambie-nairn.com who designed First's 'dynamic lines' livery, nobody else seems to be able to step up in terms of transport livery designs.

Has anyone else big even had the opportunity to have a go? Or do people just default to Stenning?

 

[ChathillMan]

Do you reckon? Their approach is different to Stenning's, but personally I think Stenning's style is getting rather samey at times. To me it still makes everything look like Trent Barton - his default style is almost typecast.

Yup... Best Impressions ain't cheap either...

 

[JaJaWa]

Has anyone else big even had the opportunity to have a go? Or do people just default to Stenning?

Well loads of the liveries out there aren't Best Impressions. Most of the recent First work is MHD.

 

[Great_Western]

Well loads of the liveries out there aren't Best Impressions. Most of the recent First work is MHD.

MHD have experimented with rebranding some of the big operators that are no longer with us on that website, Looks rather interesting

 

[Andyh82]

MHD have experimented with rebranding some of the big operators that are no longer with us on that website, Looks rather interesting

They some how have a feature article in Buses Magazine every month showing them off

 

[Great_Western]

They some how have a feature article in Buses Magazine every month showing them off

They look fantastic. It would be nice for someone like Arriva to be brave enough to take on one of those local brands (such as their "Mersey Bus" example) considering they are their successors after all

 

[JaJaWa]

They look fantastic. It would be nice for someone like Arriva to be brave enough to take on one of those local brands (such as their "Mersey Bus" example) considering they are their successors after all

Presume Merseybus will the kind of name that arrives in the next few years with franchising anyway :grin:

 

[Bletchleyite]

Well loads of the liveries out there aren't Best Impressions. Most of the recent First work is MHD.

Yeah, I quite like some of their showcased work, and as others have said doing it with defunct brands is quite a good idea.

 

[JaJaWa]

What I can only describe as the "ALDI version of Arriva Sapphire" has been revealed.

Source: https://twitter.com/tnwbb/status/840292798930776066

 

[jon0844]

The dark bit is nice. Can't believe they've mixed it with the original colour.

Or used two more colours to divide it.

Obviously just an opinion, but I don't like it.

If they must keep the light blue, use a lot less of it. Maybe just a swish for the logo to be put on top of?

 

[JaJaWa]

My main issue was with the super generic branding – although thinking about it, that is just the base of the new livery with a temporary logo applied. I just had a quick go at mocking up something closer to what the final livery could possibly look like.

 

[johnw]

Has anyone else big even had the opportunity to have a go? Or do people just default to Stenning?

They would have to tender then pitch?

Well loads of the liveries out there aren't Best Impressions. Most of the recent First work is MHD.

MHD seem to do do more maps, advertising and leaflets? Much of First's recent rebranding gives the impression (pardon the pun) of Best Impressions' trying to make good of the horrid Olympia livery - Bristol, Norwich etc...

 

[Andyh82]

Are they really going to replace Sapphire with "Premium", is that just an umbrella term for something which is premium but always has another word to brand it as. (You don't get the Vauxhall Corsa Premium, Stagecoach Premium, Tesco Premium but rather a brand name on top)

 

[southernyoshi]

If they're painting buses into the new livery base, does that mean launch is pretty close?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If they're painting buses into the new livery base, does that mean launch is pretty close?

They also recently launched a new version of their apps in the new scheme.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They would have to tender then pitch?

Absolutely no requirement for a private company to tender anything.

 

[450.emu]

Are they really going to replace Sapphire with "Premium", is that just an umbrella term for something which is premium but always has another word to brand it as. (You don't get the Vauxhall Corsa Premium, Stagecoach Premium, Tesco Premium but rather a brand name on top)

Arriva Everyday Value? :roll:

 

[Bletchleyite]

Where did the idea of replacing Sapphire with Premium come from? The bus in the new livery clearly says Sapphire?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Where did the idea of replacing Sapphire with Premium come from? The bus in the new livery clearly says Sapphire?

Don't know the voracity of it but it has been mooted that the Sapphire branding on this is a temporary measure until the Premium brand is rolled out. Given how the distinction between Sapphire and Max has blurred, it probably makes sense to rationalise under a single brand?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Don't know the voracity of it but it has been mooted that the Sapphire branding on this is a temporary measure until the Premium brand is rolled out. Given how the distinction between Sapphire and Max has blurred, it probably makes sense to rationalise under a single brand?

Ah, I see, that might explain the colour scheme on that bus which is hybrid Max-Sapphire.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Given how the distinction between Sapphire and Max has blurred, it probably makes sense to rationalise under a single brand?

Again internet rumour, but I've read they're looking at Premium and Express as their two brands, which pretty much ties in with what Sapphire and MAX were originally supposed to be. It's more the MAX branding that doesn't really have a purpose: it started out as the express services, but there's nothing very express about the 308 Newcastle-Blyth or the 202 Leeds-Huddersfield.

 

[Bletchleyite]

MAX is a very German-style brand which perhaps doesn't fit the UK so well. (Germany is very fond of acronyms - I don't know what it does stand for, but they would very much go for something like "Mainline Arriva eXpress" over there, but it would seem a bit meaningless over here).

Sapphire...well, I'd rather they went for a more Stagecoach-like "warm and welcoming" interior, I find the harsh blue and daylight white LED lighting unpleasant and not at all relaxing. I'd actively avoid Sapphire rather than actively choose it. (The one big selling point of 2+1 upstairs was soon dropped).

 

[jon0844]

MAX is a very German-style brand which perhaps doesn't fit the UK so well. (Germany is very fond of acronyms - I don't know what it does stand for, but they would very much go for something like "Mainline Arriva eXpress" over there, but it would seem a bit meaningless over here).

Sapphire...well, I'd rather they went for a more Stagecoach-like "warm and welcoming" interior, I find the harsh blue and daylight white LED lighting unpleasant and not at all relaxing. I'd actively avoid Sapphire rather than actively choose it. (The one big selling point of 2+1 upstairs was soon dropped).

Philips supply bulbs to the industry that can offer both warm and cool white lighting, which could be ideal for interior lights on a bus (as on a plane or train). Cool white in the daytime, if needed at all, and a warmer white in the night.

Easy to do automatically with a light sensor on the outside (with a sufficient delay so it won't flicker from one to the other when passing trees or tunnels!).

 

[Statto]

What are the differences between MAX & Sapphire, as both have free wifi & leather seating, even standard new buses have free wifi & leather seating?

 

[Steelwheels]

What are the differences between MAX & Sapphire, as both have free wifi & leather seating, even standard new buses have free wifi & leather seating?

Sapphire branding is applied to vehicles which are from new up to about five years old and Max is appplied to vehicles over five years of age.

 

[Robertj21a]

Sapphire branding is applied to vehicles which are from new up to about five years old and Max is appplied to vehicles over five years of age.

Is it ?

Arriva Sapphires weren't all under 5 years old. I thought another difference was that Sapphires have power points and the early ones also tried out 2 + 1 seating.

 

[Andyh82]

That's entirely wrong as Arriva Yorkshire have both Sapphire and MAX buses that were both brand new in those liveries.

Sapphire supposedly has USB sockets, audio visual announcements, a dedicated team and a money back guarantee, MAX doesn't have any of that.

 

[Steelwheels]

That's entirely wrong as Arriva Yorkshire have both Sapphire and MAX buses that were both brand new in those liveries.

Sapphire supposedly has USB sockets, audio visual announcements, a dedicated team and a money back guarantee, MAX doesn't have any of that.

As I said that the original intention was that Sapphire was introduced for newer higher spec vehicles and Max was introduced for older vehicles, then Arriva seemed to lose the plot!

As it is all new vehicles delivered here on Merseyside by Arriva and Stagecoach must come with leather seating, WIFI and charging points as standard, so blows the whole branding issue out of the water anyway.