London Underground brand activations

The London Underground has played host a number of brand activations - take-overs of Tube stations for marketing purposes, with stations renamed or the roundel manipulated to fit the brief.

1932

Arsenal

Takeover of Gillespie Road for nearby Arsenal football club. 31 October–present. All station signage, bar tiled frieze on both platforms.^[1]

2015

Buxton Water

Takeover of Canada Water for the London Marathon. Station roundels, external totem and line diagrams. 26 April.^[2]

2017

Webminster

Takeover of Westminster by Amazon AWS for their new London data centre. Station roundels, platform friezes and line diagrams. 12 January.^[3]

2018

Gareth Southgate

Takeover of Southgate in honour of England football manager Gareth Southgate, following England's results in the 2018 World Cup. Station roundels. 16/17 July.^[4]

2020

Picardilly Circus

Takeover of Piccadilly Circus for release of Amazon's Star Trek: Picard. Station roundels (recoloured and combined with Star Trek logo), platform friezes and line diagrams. 15/16 January.^[5]

PlayStation 5

Multiple takeovers for the launch of Sony's PlayStation 5 console. 18/19 November.^[6]

Oxford Circus - addition of 'squaredel', 'crossdel' and 'triangdel' lightboxes outside station; square, cross and triangle symbols added next to station roundels and on some line diagrams
Mile End - rename to Miles End (one roundel)
Lancaster Gate - rename to Ratchet and Clankaster Gate (one roundel)
West Ham - rename to Horizon Forbidden West Ham (one roundel)
Seven Sisters - rename to Gran Turismo 7 Sisters (one roundel)

2022

Green Planet

Takeover of Green Park's southbound Victoria line platform to promote the BBC's new Green Planet programme. Station roundels (recoloured to green), platform frieze and advertising boards. 10 January.^[7]

2023

Burberry Street

Takeover of Bond Street station by Burberry for London Fashion Week. London Underground and Elizabeth line station. Station roundels (recoloured), exterior signage, platform friezes and line diagrams. 15–19 September^[8]

2024

Fold Street

Takeover of Old Street station by Samsung to promote the new Galaxy Z Fold6 phone. At least some roundels and Northern line platform friezes renamed to "Fold Street". 24–28 July.^[9]^[10]^[11]

PlayStation 30 years

Takeover of a Victoria line 2009 stock car to celebrate 30 years of PlayStation. Car 13039 of unit 11039/40 retrimmed with exclusive PlayStation moquette and in-car adverts. 25 November–7 January.^[12]

References

[1] ttp://www.thearsenalhistory.com/?p=12035

[2] ttps://www.marketingweek.com/buxton-water-aims-to-build-awareness-as-it-becomes-the-first-brand-to-take-over-a-london-tube-station/

[3] ttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tube-passengers-baffled-as-westminster-station-renamed-webminster-a3439156.html

[4] ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44844999

[5] ttps://www.cityam.com/picardilly-circus-tfl-renames-tube-station-to-celebrate-star-trek-launch/

[6] ttps://www.creativereview.co.uk/oxford-circus-playstation-symbols/

[7] ttps://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/01/10/green-park-station-becomes-green-planet-launch-attenborough-s-latest-bbc

[8] ttps://www.cityam.com/transport-for-london-renames-bond-street-burberry-street-and-the-internet-is-not-impressed/

[9] ttps://x.com/kientan74/status/1816073140025352401

[10] ttps://news.samsung.com/uk/folded-london-bus-stops-the-traffic

[11] ttps://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/samsung-renames-old-street-station-fold-street-foldable-phones-drive/1881967

[12] ttps://www.instagram.com/p/DCzN6ZmtIs2

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