We were commissioned by the Department for Transport to evolve the brand identity of East West Rail. The third biggest infrastructure project in the UK, it will connect the communities from Oxford through to Cambridge, and intersect with all major lines going North-South. It will stimulate local towns as well helping to deliver the Government’s Global Britain strategy, reinforcing the UK’s position as a science and technology superpower.

The region accounts for a disproportionate percentage of England’s economic output with greater productivity, more patent applications, and four of the UK’s top eight cities for start-ups. Not to mention ten universities and the place where Oxford University and AstraZeneca created the world’s first approved COVID-19 vaccine. 

But the area is let down by a lack of connectivity which threatens its continued success as place for innovation clusters and economic output. An estimated £100 million of gross value added is being missed annually.

Learning from HS2, the brand is positioned around connecting local communities to the things that matter; jobs, opportunities, loved ones. We collated and organised insights around how different audiences across the route feel about the project to inform a strategic evolution of the brand with the aim of better communicating the brand benefits, allying resident concerns and counteracting negative perceptions.