(26 Jan 2021, 12:17 pm)Andreos1 In summary: There is a strategy which is apparently two years old and involves painting some vehicles in a colour scheme which aligns to a specific area. Some vehicles are painted entirely in that colour, some have a nod to it in their rear and some at the front.
Some don't have any links to the area and will maintain the corporate identity.
Some will have separate branded liveries.
Some will have the express livery and in the main, it won't tie in with the colour scheme of the area.
Then there's the 'special' liveries as seen on the likes of the 53/54 or Q3.
(26 Jan 2021, 12:17 pm)Andreos1 In summary: There is a strategy which is apparently two years old and involves painting some vehicles in a colour scheme which aligns to a specific area. Some vehicles are painted entirely in that colour, some have a nod to it in their rear and some at the front.
Some don't have any links to the area and will maintain the corporate identity.
Some will have separate branded liveries.
Some will have the express livery and in the main, it won't tie in with the colour scheme of the area.
Then there's the 'special' liveries as seen on the likes of the 53/54 or Q3.
(26 Jan 2021, 2:02 pm)Drifter60 Well then I think you’ve missed the overall point, taken one mistake on my part to discount the rest of the argument being made. Connections 4 being painted 70% pink doesn’t fix this ‘strategy’.
Remove the colour of the bus for the second. Little Coaster works because they are a collection of shorter bus services which serve predominantly North Tyneside, the name a clear reference to a bus actually called the “Coaster” which goes further afield to Newcastle City Centre and the MetroCentre. The fact of the matter is there’ll be no route called the “Pink”, despite the fact the company plans on slapping some pink paint on the front of the Connections 4 service, to make it majority pink. So the “Little Pinks” brands doesn’t make sense, yes there’s another pink bus that serves some part of the town but there’s no brand synergy between the two names. Taking the North Tyneside example; Washington’s minibus network should be “Little Connections”. Bring the colour back in, the North Tyneside examples could have been called “Little Blues” then?
(26 Jan 2021, 2:02 pm)Drifter60 Well then I think you’ve missed the overall point, taken one mistake on my part to discount the rest of the argument being made. Connections 4 being painted 70% pink doesn’t fix this ‘strategy’.
Remove the colour of the bus for the second. Little Coaster works because they are a collection of shorter bus services which serve predominantly North Tyneside, the name a clear reference to a bus actually called the “Coaster” which goes further afield to Newcastle City Centre and the MetroCentre. The fact of the matter is there’ll be no route called the “Pink”, despite the fact the company plans on slapping some pink paint on the front of the Connections 4 service, to make it majority pink. So the “Little Pinks” brands doesn’t make sense, yes there’s another pink bus that serves some part of the town but there’s no brand synergy between the two names. Taking the North Tyneside example; Washington’s minibus network should be “Little Connections”. Bring the colour back in, the North Tyneside examples could have been called “Little Blues” then?
(26 Jan 2021, 5:55 pm)V514DFT Ive been holding my thoughts back on Little Pinks since it was announced,but cant any longer, i think little pinks sounds like a euphemism for something dirty
(26 Jan 2021, 9:48 pm)Andreos1 Little fingers aren't dirty though. Mine certainly aren't anyway.If like me you have a dirty enough mind, you can turn pretty much anything into a euphemism lol
(26 Jan 2021, 9:48 pm)Andreos1 Little fingers aren't dirty though. Mine certainly aren't anyway.If like me you have a dirty enough mind, you can turn pretty much anything into a euphemism lol
![[Image: dfd5bc726f3112b0f0e07817de26ec72.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210128/dfd5bc726f3112b0f0e07817de26ec72.jpg)
684 is now in Little Pinks base livery
Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk
(25 Jan 2021, 2:30 am)omnicity4659 I totally agree. There's a few things which Best Impressions gets right, such as the smaller details which are often overlooked by other studios (stickers, interiors, timetables and in a lot of cases they're a bit tidier too).
But their 'ideas' are repetitive and boring, this isn't a new thing. I spotted designs from 1998 which had the same format or background image for three different operators serving Heathrow! Beacon, although didn't have the best 'finish' did bring a lot of ideas and seemed to know the area a lot better. There wasn't an anti-car agenda or a focus on promoting green credentials from them either. Slogans like "go the greener way" or "it's posher than your car" isn't going to wash with car drivers, people marketing public transport needs to see the benefits from both sides as well as the perception of current and future customers, not the silly clichés which are going around...
I think Best Impressions relies on naivety and a lack of expertise from their clients to survive, people who care and work in design see straight through their c**p.
(25 Jan 2021, 2:30 am)omnicity4659 I totally agree. There's a few things which Best Impressions gets right, such as the smaller details which are often overlooked by other studios (stickers, interiors, timetables and in a lot of cases they're a bit tidier too).
But their 'ideas' are repetitive and boring, this isn't a new thing. I spotted designs from 1998 which had the same format or background image for three different operators serving Heathrow! Beacon, although didn't have the best 'finish' did bring a lot of ideas and seemed to know the area a lot better. There wasn't an anti-car agenda or a focus on promoting green credentials from them either. Slogans like "go the greener way" or "it's posher than your car" isn't going to wash with car drivers, people marketing public transport needs to see the benefits from both sides as well as the perception of current and future customers, not the silly clichés which are going around...
I think Best Impressions relies on naivety and a lack of expertise from their clients to survive, people who care and work in design see straight through their c**p.
(29 Jan 2021, 12:22 am)Wybus I have both opinions on Ray and Best Impressions. If the current situation is bland and boring, his liveries are great and really bring the company into the modern era. Take the refresh of East Yorkshire as an example of this, the old regime ran it very traditionally and it needed pulling into the 21st century, or the various bits he’s done around FirstGroup such as the Excel in Norfolk.
But when you’ve already got strong unique branding, I think bringing in Best Impressions has been a retrograde step. GNE seems to be gradually turning into a carbon copy of Transdev in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Rather than unique brands like The Blaydon Racers and Red Kite we’ve got nondescript brands that could be anywhere, all the with the same thin and thick font, and slogans on the back like we see everywhere. I know Fab56 flowers and all were ridiculed here, but how long did it take to come up with Cityrider?!
![[Image: Best-Impressions-design-o-matic.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/dtdHCbF/Best-Impressions-design-o-matic.jpg)
(29 Jan 2021, 12:22 am)Wybus I have both opinions on Ray and Best Impressions. If the current situation is bland and boring, his liveries are great and really bring the company into the modern era. Take the refresh of East Yorkshire as an example of this, the old regime ran it very traditionally and it needed pulling into the 21st century, or the various bits he’s done around FirstGroup such as the Excel in Norfolk.
But when you’ve already got strong unique branding, I think bringing in Best Impressions has been a retrograde step. GNE seems to be gradually turning into a carbon copy of Transdev in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Rather than unique brands like The Blaydon Racers and Red Kite we’ve got nondescript brands that could be anywhere, all the with the same thin and thick font, and slogans on the back like we see everywhere. I know Fab56 flowers and all were ridiculed here, but how long did it take to come up with Cityrider?!
I very much doubt non enthusiasts will care, people just want to get from A to B - even more so if they're a keyworker.
I'm an enthusiast but I really don't care, if its a copy and paste job, I just want the bus to get me from A to B, as I'm a keyworker.
https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/13551...79523?s=20
Shot of the interior of the Merc
Looks like the seats from 5358 are now in 5486. Dan confirmed it on his twitter:
The seats from 5358 are now in 5486 (ex-GSC Citaro in non-standard trim), while the seats from 5486 have been re-cushioned and re-trimmed for 5358.
https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1355268934723903493
Edit:
Have 8339 - 8343 been fitted with Wi-Fi and ‘next stop’ audio-visual announcements yet?
Seen in Blackburn at Read Commercials is Go North East's Optare Solo M9250SR, 682 NK66 CWX.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62607125@N08/50887559733/ - photo credit to Chris Hinds
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Is it down for a repaint?
(29 Jan 2021, 9:19 am)Michael I very much doubt non enthusiasts will care, people just want to get from A to B - even more so if they're a keyworker.
I'm an enthusiast but I really don't care, if its a copy and paste job, I just want the bus to get me from A to B, as I'm a keyworker.
(29 Jan 2021, 9:19 am)Michael I very much doubt non enthusiasts will care, people just want to get from A to B - even more so if they're a keyworker.
I'm an enthusiast but I really don't care, if its a copy and paste job, I just want the bus to get me from A to B, as I'm a keyworker.
As I am not a fan of "Little Pinks" I thought i'd bring back some of Washington's old brands into present time with these few attempts.
(30 Jan 2021, 11:48 am)Michael Have 8339 - 8343 been fitted with Wi-Fi and ‘next stop’ audio-visual announcements yet?
(30 Jan 2021, 11:48 am)Michael Have 8339 - 8343 been fitted with Wi-Fi and ‘next stop’ audio-visual announcements yet?
(29 Jan 2021, 5:15 pm)citaro5284 https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/13551...79523?s=20Wonder why they didn't go for the leather headrest, it looks a bit odd without it imo.
Shot of the interior of the Merc
(30 Jan 2021, 11:48 am)Michael Looks like the seats from 5358 are now in 5486. Dan confirmed it on his twitter:Such a shame that didn't take the 'non-standard' seating layout as well.
The seats from 5358 are now in 5486 (ex-GSC Citaro in non-standard trim), while the seats from 5486 have been re-cushioned and re-trimmed for 5358.
https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1355268934723903493
Edit:
Have 8339 - 8343 been fitted with Wi-Fi and ‘next stop’ audio-visual announcements yet?
(29 Jan 2021, 5:15 pm)citaro5284 https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/13551...79523?s=20Wonder why they didn't go for the leather headrest, it looks a bit odd without it imo.
Shot of the interior of the Merc
(30 Jan 2021, 11:48 am)Michael Looks like the seats from 5358 are now in 5486. Dan confirmed it on his twitter:Such a shame that didn't take the 'non-standard' seating layout as well.
The seats from 5358 are now in 5486 (ex-GSC Citaro in non-standard trim), while the seats from 5486 have been re-cushioned and re-trimmed for 5358.
https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1355268934723903493
Edit:
Have 8339 - 8343 been fitted with Wi-Fi and ‘next stop’ audio-visual announcements yet?
(31 Jan 2021, 9:50 am)streetdeckfan Wonder why they didn't go for the leather headrest, it looks a bit odd without it imo.
(31 Jan 2021, 9:50 am)streetdeckfan Wonder why they didn't go for the leather headrest, it looks a bit odd without it imo.
