See Our Midland Red Feature in Buses Magazine

IDENTITY PARADE Once the biggest bus company in the country, Midland Red projected a simple and highly effective brand image. Thirty-five years after this instantly recognisable operator was broken up, The MHD Partnership offers its bold suggestion of how it could have been branded today had events taken a different turn. TAKE IT AS RED idland Red — the applied its corporate poppy red from 1972 the existing name Birmingham & Midland and the following year the heart was ripped “Midland Red” has Motor Omnibus Company out of the business when most routes in become a shorter, M to give it its original name Birmingham and the Black Country were sold snappier and more — branded itself as ‘The Friendly Midland to West Midlands PTE. In 1981, NBC split the modern “red” with Red’ and was one of the great names of the remaining bus operations into four separate the new, improved regulated bus industry. companies, with further new subsidiaries taking identity following It grew rapidly to become the biggest on the coaches and central engineering works; suit. Created territorial bus company of all, stretching out today those remnants are run mainly by Arriva, using a bespoke, from Birmingham with a complex network First, Stagecoach and Rotala-owned Diamond. hand-drawn logo, of urban, interurban and rural routes across But suppose things had taken a different the lower case Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, turn in 1973 and Midland Red survived wording is easy Shropshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire. today. How might its buses be branded? That on the eye and It was part of the BET group until the was this month’s brief to our creative friends has a flow that National Bus Company came along in 1969. at The MHD Partnership. represents the ease The fleet was always red, sometimes relieved ‘When a bus operator has the word “Red” of travelling with by black, and the fleetname for decades was in its original title, the odds on its core livery this particular just Midland in big gold capital letters, later being anything other than that colour (even in a operator.’ Midland Red in upper and lower case. There rebrand) are fairly slim,’ says account director, He says the main were coaches, too, for long distance express Mike Fletcher. ‘Some brands are synonymous area of the livery routes and extended tours, and until 1970 it with a colour — Cadburys purple, Ferrari red, makes use of a bright to dark red gradient. met part of its requirement for new vehicles by easyJet orange — and this particular company ‘This contrast in colour, and the oversized designing and building them itself. falls squarely into that category. use of the curved bespoke logo, means it’s Business was already in decline when NBC ‘To complement this decision on colour, guaranteed to stand out on the roads without the need for additional colours. ‘The message “always honoured to have you on board” above the doors shows an appreciation for the waiting passengers and the strapline “a journey shared is a journey improved” summarises what this new brand is all about for the people who use it. Note the subtle use of the “red” lettering at the end of both honoured and shared to offer even more branding consistency. ‘The timetable cover provides a perfect synergy with the livery, leaving the passenger in no doubt which operator’s services it is marketing. Simple, striking and most importantly informative, the cover would stand out on any display rack in the city.’ Fletcher says the brand has evolved to become one that is proud to represent Worcester and one that is most definitely proud to be red. ■ ■ To see all of the other rebranding projects by The MHD Partnership, visit Traditional Midland Red livery on 5399 (BHA 399C), a BMMO D9 built at the company’s www.mhdpartnership.co.uk. Carlyle Works in 1965 and preserved at the Wythall Transport Museum. 56 www.busesmag.com September 2016.

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