In terms of branding simplicity, London’s public transport system takes some beating. Its iconic roundel logo is over 100 years old, and Harry Beck’s famous tube map is a masterpiece of simplicity over geographic realism.
But – there was a time in the 1920’s when the classic roundel was under threat. By a rabbit. Called Wilfred.
In 1922, London’s Transport Managing Director Frank Pick wanted a mascot for their new bus routes that radiated out from London into the countryside. Animal mascots on cars were all the rage - not just obvious ones like eagles & wild cats, but more whimsical frogs, snakes and, um carp - so Frank chose Wilfred, a character from a Sunday Mirror cartoon (quick tangent: this is where the word pipsqueak originates; Wilfred’s adoptive parents were Pip the dog and Squeak the, um, penguin), which would be attached to the front of buses, appear in posters and even pottery versions made available for sale. The hope was that the buses themselves would become known as Wilfreds. Imagine, in the current day, catching the number 63 Wilf home from the pub… 🐇 🚎
The rationale? To highlight the rural aspect of the service to city-dwellers. As an official said at the time, rather delightfully, “𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴.”
But then, suddenly, the rabbit was no more. Frank Pick seemingly changed his mind, and then toyed with alternative mascots, including a turtle, which perhaps didn’t give the best impression of an efficient transport system. And then, in 1925, the roundel became the central image for London Transport.
Personally, I think a rabbit mascot would have worked better for, I dunno, an underground series of tunnels. And we do have Warren Street station. So perhaps a chance for a comeback with the Underground?
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