First has chosen to brand its busway services as Vantage, a stand-alone premium service using an all-new livery designed in-house by First's own design team. Gold and white lettering sits atop a deep purple base colour, with a fading harlequin-patterned 'V' dashed across the rear halves of the vehicles. The same device is placed liberally across associated marketing collateral. There is little mention of First anywhere within the branding, the only indications being a small 'f' on the front of the vehicles, and the links to the First website and Twitter feeds. Disappointingly, it is in the execution of the idea itself where the problems start to stack up. Good design begins with a strong message; a single guiding principle, which the creative work should always attempt to spell out. What does the brand stand for and what are the values it upholds? What can we offer that compels motorists to ditch their cars and switch to the bus? Are we faster? Cheaper? More convenient for the office? Sadly, the Vantage brand lacks this key ingredient. The critical element. The core message. To look at the brand as the average passer-by, you would never suspect that this was First's premium offering, aimed primarily at tempting commuters out of their cars and on to the guided busway.
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