Branding and corporate identity for Odesa subway
We are very confused about the lack of subways in Odesa. The government promises to build it occasionally, but later in the distant future. Finally, the city’s future tram line will be called the Odesa Subway. It’s made things clear: there will be no subway in the city long. That’s filling us with sadness.
We began to think of ways to change the situation. We’re not constructors or architects, nor are we 3D animators, but we could do some branding. That’s how the ironic idea of branding a non-existent subway grew into a serious project.
Any subway is recognizable by its logo. Since we were branding a subway that did not exist, we were not limited to the classic “M” letter and were free to use any possible options.
Nevertheless, people worldwide mostly recognize the “M” letter as a symbol of the subway. Therefore, it would be challenging for tourists to recognize stations without it. As a result, we removed all the anchors and cords and left the sea color with OM letters — Odesa Metro.
We have been creating a subway map several times in a row, and we rejected the scheme each time. One version had four lines to cover the whole city but looked too chaotic. As a result, we printed the Odesa map and placed stations in the most popular places.
We invented the design of an application for quick payment and travel tickets for those who don’t have time or opportunity to download the app. It made our fantasies even more realistic.
The main fear of future subway users is the loss of more time. We described this idea in funny slogans, which later became a full-fledged communication of the Odesa subway with the target audience. We’ve made various variants for residents of different city areas to win everyone’s hearts.
Any infrastructure project should communicate with its audience. It must be friendly, provide useful information that the user needs, and be a reliable friend who solves daily issues. The subway does this through navigation.
Working on the project, we suddenly realized that the light metro in Odesa could be more than just another infrastructure project. It could begin a new era in city life. Odesa Subway can unite the main structural objects and transform the post-Soviet city into a modern international hub from a local resort.
The idea of branding for a nonexistent project has become a global project of the entire city’s upgrade. We know that this dream can hardly come true. But we want to shake people’s minds, unite, and inform investors and the government that Odesa is losing its unique location, prospects, and potential. We sincerely love Odesa and know it is great. Let’s team up and build a big project together.
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