Who’s ready for their morning commute to get a little more interesting? Well, say hello to the future of the Underground — complete with brand endorsement and heavy advertising.
An idea put forward by the Tories of the Greater London Authority is to introduce sponsored stations and lines on the London tube system, with the aim of reducing fares and capping those constantly soaring commuter rates. And the whole idea is causing a spot of controversy. TfL aren't sold for starters, stating that, “the Tube map is an iconic brand and to clutter it up with other people’s brands excessively would not be appropriate.” Either way, illustrator Paul Speller has done a pretty stellar job at capturing what the tube map might look like if this initiative was put into practice. We're not going to lie; we sort of like it.
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As if not giving into shopping on the way home from work wasn’t hard enough already, now, your home-to-office commute could become full of temptations. BalhaM&S? Dorothy Perkinsington? Habitattinham Court Road? Oh, our bank accounts just cried. As for healthy eating. See you later, waistline. Mars Bar Arch to Babybelsize Arch, via, our favourite, Burger King’s Cross St. Pancras. Willpower = gone.
So, where do you weigh in? Is this a clever economic strategy, or the sell-out of an iconic British image? (TimeOut)
Photo: Via TimeOut