When Stagecraft Ltd arrived with a Routemaster London bus and a bold design to promote their local brewery, Signs Express (Bedford) were delighted to take up the challenge.

This classic bus is used by The Charles Wells Brewery to promote Bombardier, their popular English ale, at various events throughout the UK and had previously been fitted with a bar plus extendable canopy for picnic seating outside.

The team at Signs Express removed the original logos and worked with Stagecraft’s design team to adapt the graphics to fit the bus. The vintage double-decker proved to be their tallest challenge yet. The bus was several inches taller than the door to the vehicle wrapping bay, so a new local warehouse was kindly loaned to create a controlled environment in which to install the graphics.

The double-decker was wrapped in sections with sign vinyls, digitally printed in-house, with Bombardier’s statement artwork. In addition, a specialist one-way vision film was used on the windows to allow light in and a view out, without breaking up the design.

Chris Hardy, MD of Signs Express (Bedford), took on project with enthusiasm: “Wrapping this iconic bus was a challenge we all enjoyed, and the co-operation between all parties in the project was a real pleasure. Our older staff especially appreciated the history behind the bus – more than 2800 were made between 1954 and 1968. Good vehicle graphics always provide great advertising and the Bombardier bus is an outstanding example of an effective and charming project.”