Friday, February 09, 2007

Public transport as part of a city's culture

One of the measures of the degree to which public transport is enmeshed in a city's life is whether businesses use it in their advertising or naming.

An example is the Brand Smart ad that's currently in the Degraves Street subway (see below). The whole poster is based on a stylised version of the Melbourne rail system map, with the brands stocked labelled as stations.

As for names, is it a coincidence that the hairdresser opposite Edithvale Station is called Hairconnexions? Not to mention Transit bar in Federation Square.

And it's not just businesses either. Reflecting its historical development, Melbourne must have more 'Station' or 'Railway' Streets than almost any other city. The combined total is over two columns in the Melway, even beating 'Victoria' and 'Elizabeth', which are the other common street names in this city.

There are no doubt many more public transport-themed business names or advertisements around Melbourne. Feel free to add any in the comments below.