Sky Art Gallery, Singapore Cable Car. Image by Twisstii (OIC)
We’ve mentioned the Maokong Gondola’s famous Hello Kitty–themed cable cars a number of times before when talking about both advertising strategies and the effect of fun on ridership (and because, well… Hello Kitty). But those loveable cabins aren’t the only instances of combining interesting visual concepts with the uniquely visible presence of cable propelled transit.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of linking French resorts La Plagne and Les Arcs/Peisey Vallandry via double decker cable car, Rossignol skiwear designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac lent his own special flourish to the outside of the cabins.
But one of the most consistently impressive systems when it comes to branding concepts has to be the Singapore Cable Car. Here are a few creative designs in recent memory:
1. Sky Art Gallery
In 2011, Singapore’s Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC) was given free reign to create 10 illustrations (pictured above) that would adorn the cable cars in celebration of the state’s 46th National Day.
2. Angry Birds
In 2012, the insanely popular app-based game was already everywhere, so it made sense that it would also appear on the cable car cabins.
3. DC Super Heroes
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the city’s cable car, the cabins were wrapped with logos and characters from DC comics. Riders were also offered an augmented reality option that seemed to put Superman, Batman, and their spandex-wearing buddies right there in the cabin.
So as the Singapore Cable Car shows, gondola systems can be constantly rebranded and renewed to generate new interest amongst riders. Can you think of other cable cars that have creative advertising concepts?