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New rail logo for temporary advertising campaign

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domcoop7

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It's hideous. For all the reasons set out above.

I'm wondering whether the reason they didn't use the correct symbol and instead knocked their own (incorrect, with extra long diagonals, and what looks to me to be parallel lines on the edges of the "arms" where the originals are actually tapered away from each other) version up on Microsoft Paint is because this is the Rail Delivery Group and the ownership of the BR symbol is with the Secretary of State? Whilst I can't see the DfT suing the RDG for passing off or trademark infringement, I can foresee them not being willing to give permission to use the correct BR symbol in a context likely to mislead the public into thinking the RDG is the same as Network Rail or BR. Especially as even people on this forum appear to have mixed them up, let alone the general public.
 
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Mat17

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Anyone else think they should leave politics out of this redesign, and just go for something that identifies it as transport? Everything is being politicised all the time.

Correct me if I'm wrong but when they came up with the Lion on Wheel etc. In the 1940s it was simply a symbol to identify the new national company, not an endorsement of the Atlee govt policies, ditto for the Arrows of Indecision in the 1960s, not advertising the Macmillan/Douglas-Home govts policies.
 

HarryL

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To be fair Rail Delivery Group have been using a multi-colour version of the logo for a while at this point with their "Britain runs on rail" campaigns, this is just a version of that but in green. Though the redraw with the longer stems is something that they were supposed to have dropped years ago in favour of the correct proportion one shown on their website, why they have gone back to it here is odd.

It's interesting, because according to this The Beauty of Transport article on the Britain Runs on Rail campaigns and said redraw of the logo, Gerry Barney is mentioned as supporting both the redraw, and the new multi-colour scheme.
Given that the reinterpretation of the double arrow is quite radical, you might think it would cause Gerry Barney, the designer who conceived the original, some upset. Not a bit of it. “The new version of the logo really works,” he says. “It reinforces the totality of Britain’s rail industry working together, and the diversity of the different companies and Network Rail. It’s a faithful adaptation of my original 1963 design”. The secretary of state for transport was very willing to agree to the use of the logo by Britain Runs on Rail too.
So either he has had a change of heart over the years and now has distaste towards it, or he has seen an opportunity to get his name and reputation a bit of credit. ;)
 
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Bletchleyite

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To be fair Rail Delivery Group have been using a multi-colour version of the logo for a while at this point with their "Britain runs on rail" campaigns, this is just a version of that but in green. Though the redraw with the longer stems is something that they were supposed to have dropped years ago in favour of the correct proportion one shown on their website, why they have gone back to it here is odd.

On the basis of Occam's Razor, it's because someone had it there on their PC and used it.
 

MattRat

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Anyone else think they should leave politics out of this redesign, and just go for something that identifies it as transport? Everything is being politicised all the time.

Correct me if I'm wrong but when they came up with the Lion on Wheel etc. In the 1940s it was simply a symbol to identify the new national company, not an endorsement of the Atlee govt policies, ditto for the Arrows of Indecision in the 1960s, not advertising the Macmillan/Douglas-Home govts policies.
I think some form of politics can work with the railways, just not 'green' politics. Green politics is just espousing you will do something, when actually you will do very little or nothing at all. There are some exceptions, of course, but it's a really fake trend that people hide behind to feel better than you.

Really, what we should be promoting is the electric railway, as there are benefits to that outside of it's green credentials. Plus it would be focused on building infrastructure, and a focus on infrastructure in general will highly benefit future generations.
 

infobleep

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Nothing against it being green but don't like the way they have used different green colours in it. If they really wanted more than one shade of green, surely there must have been a better way to achieve it.

Personally, I'd have just gone with the dark green used by Great Western Railway for the whole logo.
 

Mat17

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Really, what we should be promoting is the electric railway, as there are benefits to that outside of it's green credentials. Plus it would be focused on building infrastructure, and a focus on infrastructure in general will highly benefit future generations.
I couldn't agree more.
 

Amaroussi

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I know it is a one-off logo, but Gerry Barney has a point to make about the Rail Delivery Group’s interpretation of the double arrow.

I can understand the potential of updating a logo, but for some time I have found the Rail Delivery Group version of the double arrow to be very out of balance, due to the extension of the fins. The RDG’s use of multiple colours on a regular basis does not help either.

For the record (and also image caption), an overlay-based comparison between the original version (red) and the RDG version (blue):

BR-RDG Logo Comparison.png
 
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stephen rp

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Obviously this was what Liar Johnson had in mind this week with "It's not easy being green".
 

WatcherZero

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49876673-0-image-a-48_1635716367612.jpg


Railway 'double arrow' symbol on train network is set for a patriotic makeover | Daily Mail Online

Now reported the red white and blue 1965 logo is indeed coming back.
It looks okay on a glossy brochure or something but I dont think I would want to see it in stations.
 

PG

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Irascible

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What sort of a hideous chaotic mess is that. Stare at it long enough & you'll fall into the abyss. ( Seriously, stare at the middle with your eyes wide ).
 

Grumpy Git

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It's absolutely awful and should be a single colour.

The whole point of good design is simplicity. The only simple thing here is the person or persons who came up with the multicolour spewfest.
 

PTR 444

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I personally think it would look much better if the blue rectangle was extended to cover the whole of the double arrow, similar to JaJaWa’s avatar.

But even so, the double arrow symbol should really be left alone.
 

Wolfie

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Domh245

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I suspect the arrows will be left alone where they are currently used for wayfinding and identification, whilst the blue monstrosity will be used as a replacement for the network rail triangle (when in full colour).

Nobody is that daft that they'd start putting this on every sign (road, rail and other) in the country, surely?
 

WestRiding

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Absolute monstrosity. Let's hope that doesn't get plastered onto trains anytime!
It's not brilliant, but it's tidy compared to some of the train colours recently. Personally I can't wait to see all trains the same colour rather than something out of a toy land paint factory explosion. The railway looks a right mess at the minute with all the different colours.
 

Amaroussi

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How do I explain how the Daily Mail is… um… not the best of sources? Therefore I cannot consider the proposed red on blue design to be confirmed.
 

HYPODERMIC

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I think it looks pretty cool, as long as it's only used as a marketing logo. I agree the blue should be extended to the edge of the arrows. I wouldn't want to see it used for wayfinding/signage/operational purposes, and I'm almost certain it won't be, because it's too cluttered/busy for those purposes.

I feel this forum jumps to conclusions a bit on this stuff and seems to like hyperbole - "ruination", "want to cry", "abomination". Gosh, really? I know design is subjective but surely it's not that offensive is it? This is almost certainly just another supplementary marketing brand - just like the 'we mean green' double arrows, just like the RDG 'Britain runs on rail' multicoloured double arrows of a few years ago, etc. I really can't imagine that they're wishing to replace all the roadsigns, station signs, etc.

And to be honest I think it's a reasonably neat play on the fact we'll have a British national rail organisation (ish/of sorts) again - yes I know services will be run by private contractors - but I wouldn't be surprised if GBR's marketing people see national heritage/pride as part of their marketing platform, a way to refresh the public perception of the railways after those bad old private train companies (etc etc) that used to be in charge...
 
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Gareth

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As much as it'll upset all the right people, I'm not a fan of it. Looks garrish. The blue should at least fill the rectangle but really, you can't go wrong with just the red symbol on a plain background.
 
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