World's Best Bus Art

We've seen some really very creative "busvertising" but I think this Dec. 2009 effort gets the palm—by Denmark's Bates Y&R agency for the Copenhagen Zoo, from Coloribus via Andrew Sullivan. The Creative Director was Ib Borup and Peder Schack was the A.D.

I think I know people who wouldn't get on this bus.

Mike
(Thanks to Bob Burnett)

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Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Rick Bennett: "You can count me amongst people who wouldn't get on that bus. Well, maybe if I was in a tight squeeze."

Featured Comment by Eolake Stobblehouse: "As a Dane, I can tell that Copenhagen has a nice tradition for bus art. Years ago they had a series of busses which were not even commercial, but were painted by commissioned fine arts painters, some were great."

Comments

[Pascal Sauvé]

Who wouldn't get on this bus ?

Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark - "...Snakes...why did it have to be snakes..."

and

Nelville Flynn (Samuel L Jackson) - Snakes on a Plane: "...Everybody listen up! We have to put a barrier between us and the snakes !..."

[Podróżnik]

Similar (but not as goog as that) in Wrocław / Poland: http://static0.blip.pl/user_generated/update_pictures/2002139.jpg

It advertises the Wrocław ZOO.

[ctein]

I'm betting Dan Berry and Paris are just hating this one...

pax / Ctein

[Steve Smith]

I saw a picture of an articulated bus yesterday. The two parts of an accordian had been painted either side of the flexible joint of the bus.

[Steve Smith]

Here: http://accordionsightings.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/bus-accordion-ad.jpg

[Soeren Engelbrecht]

They did it on one of the subway trains as well - my kids really dropped their jaws, when we rode it for the first time :-)

The painted "indentations" really did look quite convincing - even up close.

Soeren,
Copenhagen, Denmark

[Neil]

You know when some things just make you grin..... this is one of them! Hats off to the people who designed and implemented it :) This kind of visual humour transcends all boundaries of age and culture... unless your culture believes some kind of omnipotent snake-god I guess!

[jeremy]

You are right. My wife had one look and said "I wouldn't get on this bus!"

[Max_a_secas]

I wonder if it's not a little scary for foreign drivers, you take a turn and suddenly you have the snake head in your car window, who knows, it looks very realistic.

[Jim Green]

I really hate snakes and I also probably wouldn't get on that bus - hopefully the next bus has a different paint scheme.

It is quite good though, hence all the anti-snake vitriol (I wanted to say venom, but that just wouldn't be right).

[Pete Wilkinson]

I hope the photo was taken with lossless compression!
Pete Wilkinson

[Mark Janness]

Technology does not necessarily make a talented artist.

Anyone can purchase a huge format printer, computer and sign layout software to make any type of signage but only those who have a high level of talent and skill in the trade can create stunning signs.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

What a clever ad! A few years ago the Shedd Aquarium created an entrance shelter that looked like a giant anaconda was eating the line of visitors. It was pretty cool, too.

[Steven Ralser]

Much more interesting than the advertising clad busses we get here.

[stephen]

I like the Pabst beer art on the buses in Milwaukee. Pretty hip.

[gary isaacs]

gotta be hell on schizophrenics . . . .

[Kevin Purcell]

Camera related one ...

http://www.cherryflava.com/cherryflava/2006/10/busvertising.html

and quite a few in Google images for the UK and US spelling

http://www.google.com/search?q=busvertising&tbm=isch
http://www.google.com/search?q=busvertizing&tbm=isch

and even more under creative bus advertising

http://www.google.com/search?q=creative%20bus%20advertising&tbm=isch

[Joel Conner]

Wow...that is crazy. Not sure I would want to get on! lol

[Yucel]

Dang.. had to look to see it.. thought someone just photoshoped the bus pic... didn't realize someone photoshoped the snake onto the actual bus...

[robert blu, quiet photographer]

between dreams and nightmares...
robert

[Paris]

Ctein: You betcha.

Actually, I'm kidding. I LIKE the bus, and wouldn't have any problem with it. It's the realistic closeups that get me. National Geographic used to do that, from time to time.

Brrrrrrr.

Really, I don't hate them. I get that they are God's creatures, and like all other animals, a complex and beautiful response to evolutionary pressures. But so are bedbugs and mosquitoes. And Escherichia coli.

[JH]

I liked the "sharkbus" I saw in Auckland last year.

http://www.jimhayes.com/Pacific2011/Pages/11.html

[beats]

This is rather creative, but will not appreciate the people should be scared.

[Dennis Ng]

Want to be on one actually. How many time you can enjoy your bus ride by looking outside for the reactions of people looking at you!

[John Roberts]

A question for TOP readers in Denmark: Just curious, why do you think the writing on the side of the bus is in English, not Danish?

[Kevin Purcell]

Hvorfor engelsk på den danske bus? **

1. It's Copenhagen and I suspect they're targeting tourists so the international language is English.

2. Most Danes speak English.

I'm not a Dane but I lived in Aarhus for half a year and spoke very little Danish. Even the teenage checkout girls at the supermarket could switch from Danish to perfect English when presented with a very confused English guy. As a Danish friend of mine said when I asked him why so many Danes speak excellent English (and German and can get by with Norwegian (roughly same written language but spoken like Scots is to English) and Swedish): "There are only 5 million Danes. You can't expect everyone to learn Danish".

Only the tagline would be incomprehensible to non-English speaking Danes. Zoo is the same in both languages. That and the snake. They would get the message.

** "Why English on the Danish bus?" but you got that from context and a couple of similar words (from Google translate as my Danish is now non-existant apart from tak and an understanding of Hyggelig).