NBC’s true colours? Modern shades of red and green
The Corporate Identity adopted bold, modern shades of the industry’s traditional green and red for local services. We crunch the numbers on the adoption of the new colours across the country. In 1972, the National Bus Company adopted Norman Wilson’s recommendation to standardise on two colours for its buses. Wilson had argued for a thorough…
Corporate disobedience: subverting the identity
Some companies found practical reasons to take a different approach to Norman Wilson’s carefully-crafted designs.
The story of the blues
Red, white and blue was at the core of NBC’s modern corporate identity. So why was the company strangely reluctant to use blue across its huge fleet of buses and coaches?
Wilson heads east: the Biennial poster
The NBC Manual makes an impact in Czechoslovakia, and inspires a new poster, ready to order now.
A Manchester modernist
Norman Wilson’s pioneering Manchester design practice brought striking modernist graphics to industrial Britain.
A modernist summer on the buses
Fifty years ago, in August 1972, the new identity was being rolled out across England and Wales
A radical new look for local buses
Fifty years ago today, on 19 July 1972, NBC announced their plan to launch a new identity for local buses across England and Wales. Modernism was coming up your street.
Operating under one flag: a super-bus to challenge the trains
Fifty years ago today, on 12 April 1972, new Chair Fred Wood ended NBC annual conference with a press launch to introduce the new ‘Greyhound-style’ National inter-city express coach network to the public, with the new corporate identity at its heart.
Identity shock! Wood and Wilson show their hand.
The NBC Corporate Identity was launched fifty years ago today, on 10 April 1972 at the General Managers’ Conference in Leicester; and revealed to the public at a launch for the press two days later.
Fifty years ago: a Corporate Identity timeline
The NBC Corporate Identity was launched fifty years ago in 1972. This post sets out the timeline of events, running up to and during 1972.
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Subscribe to the blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
National Bus Company Corporate Identity Manual 