JKR

Greyhound Bus is opening its doors for passengers in the UK. The pitch is that while prices will be low, Greyhound will focus on communicating its wi-fi, power sockets and air conditioning. In a nod to the American heritage, the coaches will have names like Peggy Sue and Jolene. Perhaps they are adding these names because the bus livery itself fails to measure up to the Greyhound Bus in the mind’s eye. Countless movies (Midnight Cowboy is the obvious one) have featured Greyhounds. As such, the distinctive ribbed silver bodywork has come to represent a slice of classic Americana every bit the match of Zippo lighters, Fender Guitars and Levi’s jeans.

Coming into the UK, Greyhound should have had little trouble out-cooling easy Bus and Mega Bus. Unfortunately the designs follow the revamped livery now used in the States – it’s blandly modern, less iconic and altogether more visually nondescript. While of course we want to ride in an up to date coach, and any branding is probably limited to a paint job on a regular vehicle, this feels like a missed opportunity – Coke Classic shows how a brand can be modern and true to its visual roots at the same time. The product offer might be fabulous, but for anyone who ever listened to Simon and Garfunkel singing about “going off to look for America on a Greyhound”, the design lacks the romance we might have been dreaming of.