Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a new integrated campaign, paying homage to the network’s ironically colourful bus and tube seat patterns.
Crafted in partnership with creative agency VCCP and media firm Wavemaker UK, ‘Fabric of London’ is the result of a brief which secured TfL the winning prize in Outernet London and The Standard’s ‘London’s Greatest Advertising Competition’ last year.
Agencies and brands were invited to create a campaign that celebrated the capital’s rich diversity, with the winning prize taking £1 million-worth of media space, including a wrap in The Standard and an immersive takeover of Outernet London’s screens.
The final design is the culmination of extensive research carried out by VCCP and cultural insight specialist Steven Lacey at The Outsiders, depicting real stories gathered from in-depth interviews with Londoners from a vast array of ethnic and social backgrounds.
“Winning this coveted advertising competition with Outernet London and the Standard for a project that highlights the role TfL plays in bringing communities together has been especially meaningful as we celebrate our 25th anniversary of keeping Londoners moving,” said Emma Strain, TfL’s customer director.
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“The combination of TfL’s iconic moquette, a canvas synonymous with London, with the message that everyone has a place in this city in the dynamic creative is very meaningful.”
The work will run for two weeks from 10 February across both printed and high impact digital out-of-home sites (DOOH) across the transport network’s owned estate, with organic social content also appearing via the TfL, Outernet London and The Standard’s owned channels.
VCCP creative director, Simon Learman said: “This campaign is a celebration of everything that is truly great about London, one of the world’s most diverse cities, connected by a peerless transport system.”
He added: “Our newly-designed seat moquette allows us to bring to life passengers’ testimonies and tie them in an emotional and physical way to TfL. Both the Outernet and The Standard also afford us a unique opportunity to bring to life the sheer scale and humanity of this project. It’s been a real labour of love.”
