TfL transforms Old Street into 'Fold Street' for 4 days

[Wolfie]

You are just making a childish ad hominem attack, not addressing the substance of the legitimate concerns about misinformation on official signs.

I actually share those concerns. The issue is that rather too many folk demand that TfL generate more income and then criticise everything that it does to do exactly that.

Oh and childish? Any particular reason for a personal attack on someone who doesn't happen to have exactly your views?

 

[Dent]

I actually share those concerns. The issue is that rather too many folk demand that TfL generate more income and then criticise everything that it does to do exactly that

It is possible to be legitimately concerned about both TfL's income and misinformation on official signage.

Oh and childish? Any particular reason for a personal attack on someone who doesn't happen to have exactly your views?

First of all, describing your action of making ad hominem arguments as childish is not a personal attack, it is a criticism of your action. Secondly, I didn't say anything about not having exactly the same views, so that is a strawman.

 

[PGAT]

The issue is that rather too many folk demand that TfL generate more income and then criticise everything that it does to do exactly that.

People can have nuanced opinions. I’m sure most people are of the opinion that raising revenue is fine as long as it isn’t intrusive to the passenger experience like a full rebrand of the station is. Another recent ad campaign by Samsung, the “Circle to Search Line” was well received by most people

 

[Blackpool boy]

It is possible to be legitimately concerned about both TfL's income and misinformation on official signage.

its only for a short time and TfL are not the only company around the world to do this, though i cant quite find the story i read about it on MSN a while back

 

[Dent]

its only for a short time and TfL are not the only company around the world to do this, though i cant quite find the story i read about it on MSN a while back

Do either of these things change the point that putting misinformation on official signage is misleading and undermines the purpose of official signage?

 

[stuu]

Likewise Burberry Street is much more obviously a marketing campaign while
Fold Street sounds like a typo and the product/company being marketed is less clear

Only if you have heard of Burberry, which isn't a given

 

[davews]

I had never heard of Burberry, not in my league for clothing. Knowing that Fold refers to a rather expensive brand of mobile phone is equally bizarre.

 

[Wolfie]

I had never heard of Burberry, not in my league for clothing. Knowing that Fold refers to a rather expensive brand of mobile phone is equally bizarre.

More accurately a model of mobile phone rather than a brand (which is Samsung).

 

[Recessio]

Old Street also isn't exactly a tourist destination, so it's not quite as egregious as Burberry Street was.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

Does have an eye hospital though

 

[SunSeeker]

I saw a picture of the entrance and I had absolutely no idea what station it actually was. Granted I don't venture to that part of London often, but still, I can only imagine how many people must have got to the entrance and been confused.

 

[Busaholic]

Sold Street, surely? As in,, TfL long since sold out. Said with sadness.

 

[Recessio]

Does have an eye hospital though

Well if they'd changed the audio announcements too, then that would be a problem...

 

[ThameslinkUser]

Well if they'd changed the audio announcements too, then that would be a problem...

Yes because being blind is a binary option between full vision and full blindness and slightly changing familiar sights will have no impact whatsoever on the non-existant part in between.

 

[renegademaster]

Do any accsessebility regulations apply to station signage or just the vehicle itself?

 

[Recessio]

Yes because being blind is a binary option between full vision and full blindness and slightly changing familiar sights will have no impact whatsoever on the non-existant part in between.

That is a fair point. I could imagine that particularly because it's the first letter that has changed, it could be misleading if that it is what someone is looking out for.

It is interesting though that TfL seem to have judged that audio announcements cannot be changed/messed with for marketing, but station signage is apparently fair game.

Do any accsessebility regulations apply to station signage or just the vehicle itself?

It would be interesting to know this - is the only reason TfL are doing this to station signage, and not in train signage nor any station announcements, because of a difference in regulations for station signage?

 

[Elecman]

Daz Street?

Bold Street surely

 

[Stephen42]

That is a fair point. I could imagine that particularly because it's the first letter that has changed, it could be misleading if that it is what someone is looking out for.

It is interesting though that TfL seem to have judged that audio announcements cannot be changed/messed with for marketing, but station signage is apparently fair game.

It would be interesting to know this - is the only reason TfL are doing this to station signage, and not in train signage nor any station announcements, because of a difference in regulations for station signage?

While there are many audio announcements these days, visual signage has more duplication allowing the original name to still be present. Many of these campaigns rely on social media for extra traction and visuals have a much larger impact for that. I doubt many brands would want to pay extra to change the announcements in addition.

Train signage is far more complicated logistically, there's roughly 100 Northern line trains each with six cars and plenty of signage throughout. For a short campaign where it needs to be done overnight you'd need people at each of the 5 main stabling/depot locations to go through with stickers or alternative signage, then the reverse to remove it. The temporary closure stickers are rolled out over a longer period, presumably when trains hit a convenient point in the cycle.

From a wayfinding perspective in train signs or other stations are much more likely to be used by people trying to find Old Street than at the station itself. From the video in the original post Old Street still appears on the platforms. It's unclear how many entrances have the alternate name. While I'm not a fan of this type of rename, the impact on wayfinding is sometimes overstated. For Moorfields Eye Hospital the in train announcements for Old Street include a reference to it.

 

[paul332]

By sheer coincidence I visited Old Street last week to admire the improvements, and was mightily impressed by (a) the incredibly long and winding walk to the Great Northern platforms, with the look and feel, and smell, of one of the LT Museum disused station tours; and (b) the incredibly long and circuitous walk to the "Old Street Station" bus stop at Bunhill Fields.

By another sheer coincidence I was alerted just yesterday to a new Xiaomi foldable phone just 9.5mm thick when folded, weighing 226g, with pretty good cameras, screens and other specs, which caused me to wonder whether I might one day be in the market for foldables, having until now dismissed the genre as unwieldy, heavy and irrelevant.

I missed the unfOlding promotion but wonder whether it would in fact have succeeded in advancing the brand, the genre or both. The Samsung apparently is not as light or thin as the Xiaomi, so I probably wouldn't have been mightily impressed. I shall however pay a visit to the wonderful Samsung showroom at Coal Drops Yard to check it out, along with their latest TVs and washing machines.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Bold Street surely

A White City wash when it's thirty degrees...

 

[jon0844]

I went there today and there's loads of branding inside and out, as well as billboards and even bus stops as you walk towards Moorgate. But on the platforms, most of the signage hasn't changed. There are some wall mounted signs changed on the platform and none on the rear walls, that I could see.

I don't think most people would be confused. The Samsung ads and signs explain what it's all about.

I remain unconvinced that these advertising ventures are a good thing, but this wasn't bad.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Next time Spandau Ballet decide to reform for a reunion tour, could rename it Gold Street

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Next time Spandau Ballet decide to reform for a reunion tour, could rename it Gold Street

True

 

[Sun Chariot]

True

Brilliant. Take a bow!

 

[Lockwood]

Take a Bow Road?

 

[Dstock7080]

How much did TfL get from Samsung to promote Fold Street I wonder? it was a fair wad for the Circle and Search Line a few months ago.

Fold and Burberry Street: Tube station renaming raises £500,000

TfL twice temporarily changed station names in what campaigners say were "thoughtless PR stunts".

www.bbc.co.uk

Transport for London (TfL) received £500,000 by temporarily changing the names of two Tube stations in the past year, it has been revealed.

Old Street became Fold Street last month, raising £300,000 as part of a collaboration with Samsung, while Bond Street was renamed Burberry Street last September, fetching £200,000.

Just £200k for “Burberry Street”!

 

[thomalex]

Fold and Burberry Street: Tube station renaming raises £500,000

TfL twice temporarily changed station names in what campaigners say were "thoughtless PR stunts".

www.bbc.co.uk

Just £200k for “Burberry Street”!

Curious how much it cost. There was a fair bit of work with Burberry Street especially which has multiple lines and they really went to town with changing everything.

 

[Thirteen]

TfL don't pay for installing and removal, they get the cash and that's it.

 

[Deepgreen]

As a former TfL/LU manager who worked on station projects and signage, this whole sorry saga is hugely depressing. The £500k-odd accrued by the degradation of the brand, image and basic passenger information priority is utter peanuts compared with the damage done and, presumably, still to be done by further corporate vandalism.

 

[Broucek]

I'm trying to imagine being on the metro in an unfamiliar foreign city and dealing with this.... Not really a good idea!