There seems to have been a bit of a splurge of new adverts on Manchester Metrolink recently with companies taking the opportunity to use the power of adverting on the trams to publicise their products – ranging from those who want to get you out of the country, enjoy the new Bee Network in the region and enjoy some entertainment at the Palace Theatre in the city!
Some of these new adverts we have reported on previously on these pages but as a round-up this article includes images of the following new designs:
3023 – Hamilton
3031 – Booking.com
3047 – Marc Jacobs
3066 – TUI
3079 – Bee Network
We’ve featured all of the above in previous articles, except for 3023 which is now carrying an advert for Hamilton which will be playing at the Palace Theatre between 11th November 2023 and 24th February 2024. This advert replaces the Pride livery on this tram (applied in August 2023) and is the second non-standard advert for 3023. Its also the second time that a musical at the Palace Theatre has advertised on a tram with 3018 having adverts for The Phantom of the Opera back in 2020 (a run which was abandoned after the outbreak of the Covid outbreak). Although theatre has previously used other means to advertise on the trams with 1020 being named Mary Poppins in 2008 during the first UK tour of that show whilst the name Starlight Express was seen on 1021 in late 2006 and early 2007.
3023 is on the back of a double unit as it departs from Trafford Bar for Bury. The advert is for Hamilton.
3031 is arriving at Trafford Bar in this photo showing off its Booking.com advert.
If you’re not up with your fashion designers you’d be hard pressed to know just what this advert is for except a company called Marc Jacobs as that seems to be all that it tells you – over and over again! Apparently Marc Jacobs in a luxury fashion brand. Deansgate-Castlefield with the tram operating on the newly resurrected MediaCityUK to Etihad Campus service. Note also the strange positioning of the fleet numbers on the side.
3066 is the second tram trying to get people out of Greater Manchester as it advertises TUI with an advert is two halves. Its working a service to Victoria when seen at Trafford Bar.
This is 3079 at Trafford Bar in its Bee Network advert. The tram is working as part of a double unit on the East Didsbury to Rochdale line with this particular service running as far as Shaw & Crompton.
Not an advert but a tram which has recently lost one – for Yayoi Kusama Aviva Studio – is 3117 and this photo shows why a lot of the time one advert is quickly replaced by another as it doesn’t leave the most pleasant sight! (All Photographs by Roland Bull, 25th September 2023)