There’s probably a relationship between periods of austerity being followed by a trend for all things nostalgic.
And, there can be no doubt that we’re loving a bit of nostalgia at the moment – from the contrived gallop through history by the Lloyds Bank black horse to the rose-tinted view of Earth from John Lewis’ man on the moon.
Whilst these snapshots of the past certainly add something to the brands they represent they don’t quite capture the heritage and pride of a true British icon that has inspired a great rebrand…. First Great Western is reborn again as GWR, the Great Western Railway – doffing its cap to the distinguished qualities of the past and staking its claim in the memories of our future.
Far from just harking back to a bygone era – this excellent rebrand, by design consultancy Pentagram, is inspired by engineering excellence and in an instant transports us back to a time and a place when railways were great – when trains were exciting, engineering ground-breaking and climbing onboard exhilarating.
Let’s hope the GWR of the present will live up to their promise – improve their service and delight customers as much as they did in the past!