All Aboard

New Trends Aboard TfL

Transport for London inspires with new Style and Trend Guides for licensees

Transport for London has launched an updated core style guide and four new trend packs as part of its continued engagement with the licensing industry. The new creative was launched at TfL’s London Lines event, which showcased the many ways TfL and global licensing agent TSBA have worked with licensing partners to take TfL’s rich archive and use it across product categories, showing how brands and licensees can be part of TfL’s future. The new trend packs draw on assets taken from TfL’s more than 150-year history. While the Underground roundels and tube map continue to be prominent, moquette seat patterns and station architecture also take centre stage: • New Iconic • Fashion Forward • New Classic • On The Move TfL’s map and roundels are recognised globally for their simple and effective style and come with a long heritage dating from the birth of the transport network in the 1800s. Harry Beck’s Underground map was first created in 1933 and paved the way for cities from Paris to Hong Kong to create similar maps to help travellers get around. TfL’s creative assets also include the colourful moquettes which have decorated seats on buses and trains for many years, as well as the extensive poster archive dating back to the early 20th century. The archive contains posters advertising travel to sporting events, tourist attractions and the much-loved art deco styles of the 1920s. The instantly recognisable roundel has also continued to push the boundaries of design allowing people to keep a little piece of London no matter where they are. Recent licensees include Bimber Distillery with single malt whisky, Budgy Smuggler with swimwear, Ebury Press with the TfL puzzle book, and University Games with a murder mystery board game. TfL is keen to see new brand partners blend its heritage with the brand’s future, using the colours and themes to inspire new takes on classic iconography and designs. TfL’s brand covers more than just London Underground and bus services, and the trend packs outline iconography for rail and river services as well as active travel modes such as walking and cycling. The Elizabeth line and its new purple colour theme will launch in the first half of 2022, opening up further options for those seeking to work with TfL to bring London’s transport network to their designs. Jo Edwards, Head of Global Licensing at TSBA Group said: “TfL is the London brand, supported by a rich archive of assets that goes back over 150 years. TSBA developed a licensing strategy for the brand which these new trend packs support, allowing the brand to move into new sectors of the market, including homewares and home décor, and products for cycling, walking and wellbeing. With more than 80 licensees already on board and some exciting brand collaborations to be announced, it’s a great time to join the TfL licensing programme.”