Easter in Blackpool wasn’t all about the heritage trams, as Good Friday 18th April also saw the passenger debut of Flexity 016 with a brand new look. This tram has now earned its place in the history books by becoming the first of its class to receive an all-over advert livery, with the design in question promoting Fleetwood Freeport.
The sides of 016 have been almost completely covered in advertising vinyls, the only exception being the doors – it is believed that these had to be kept clear due to visibility and access requirements. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the saloon windows all of which are now plastered in contravision and which will almost certainly lead to 016 becoming the least popular tram in the fleet with the travelling public.
The main design features light blue and white colouring, with some cartoon figures filling much of the bodyside space. In an unusual development however, the ends of the car have remained purple without any advertising slogans whatsoever. Fleet liveried ends on advert buses is a common practice, but has only been applied to a Blackpool tram once before – a short-lived design promoting Blackpool Transport’s own Travelcard range on Centenary car 642 in 1995 featured a predominantly yellow design with green and cream ends. The end result on 016 looks rather strange as a result, but on the plus side at least it can now be identified at a glance – if viewed from the side anyway! Further advert liveries look set to be applied to the Flexities now that the first has appeared, with two more rumoured to be applied later in the year. For now, the last Flexity to be delivered to Blackpool now has a unique ‘first’ and a notable claim to fame in its brief history to date.
A first look at 016's new advert livery for Fleetwood Freeport on British Trams Online. Here, the tram is depicted at Pleasure Beach on its second day in service so adorned. (Photo by Gareth Prior)
I thought the idea of putting windows in trams was to see through them , I will certainly let this one pass me by .
I thought they’re was some sort of agreement with Lancashire County Council that all over adverts wouldn’t be used! Am I dreaming this?
I believe there was an agreement like that, but only for the first two years of operation, which is now up.
Its a mess.
The “Rot is setting in”, the horror of contravision, a passengers worst nightmare! Very sad.
Following the ceasing of the Isle of Man and Irish Ferry services. What is using Fleetwood Freeport these days?
I believe the advert is promoting the Freeport shopping village, so nothing to do with a ferry.
Looks different. And riding on it barely even realised the contra vision was their. Sounds like it will be the first of many. Pleased they maintained some corporate identity on the front. Quite a vibrant colouful scheme. Certainly stands out. Part of Blackpool vibrant adverts.
Methinks that this day and age with the designs/dimensions of the trams being readily available, the contravision vinyls can be designed to fit exactly and look really professional, whereas when vinyls were applied to the Balloons, they were never an exact fit and air pockets were formed where the vinyls were placed over joining trips etc ensuring that in later years those air pockets would split revealing the previous livery worn by the incumbent.
The concept of all-over advertising as a revenue-generator is laudable in an era when every penny counts as never before, but why must it contribute to the uglification of these smart new trams and the streets they traverse?
At best it looks cheap and nasty, at worst it looks like a rolling graffiti wall reminiscent of the worst the Bronx or inner-city London might display.
The car as it is now is a visually polluting eyesore, and anything but a credit to those taxpayers and citizens who helped pay for this otherwise good-looking new fleet.
A. D. Young
Whilst I can agree that the overall advert on 16 may not be the loveliest thing in the world, at the same time, in my book, it is a necessary evil. If anyone doesn’t like the advert, then please feel free to get your cheque books out and come up with a financially similar alternative that refills BTS’s coffers to the same level. Otherwise, I suggest that they deal with it!
We had this when 167 was plastered, admittedly not very nicely, with adverts for ICI in 1985. But I have to say, if it wasn’t for them forking out around £10,000 for it to be restored and transported, it would still be mouldering (or possibly even smouldering- remember the arson attack there) in Clay Cross store. After the event, it just needed the stickers removing and it was a fully pristine operable car, that is now back in Blackpool and able shortly, to be enjoyed. I really do get fed up with people who bleat on about this or that being wrong, but without the courage of their conviction to put their money where their mouth is!
So a modern, boring “all look the same” Flexity 2 has got a well paid for wrap-over ad for a place that people actually can use the tram to get to.. oh whoopee do! It must surely be better than those ironic adverts for cars dealers that you can see on public transport vehicles, that tried (and thankfully failed ultimately) to destroy the tram in this country. In the words of the Prophet… Get over it!