The Times transforms Westminster tube into a jungle to underscore politics credentials
Londoners travelling via Westminster station on Tuesday morning (22 October) will find themselves in the midst of lush green, vine-covered jungle, courtesy of The Times and The Sunday Times.
Relfecting the increasingly raucous state of British politics, the animals in the campaign have now escaped from the zoo
The News UK titles have made the tube closest to parliament the focal point of their latest 'Politics. Tamed' campaign, which aims to underscore their commitment to keeping readers well informed in "confusing political times".
Created by News UK's in-house agency Pulse Creative, the takeover will see the station rebranded to 'Westminster Jungle' for the day. It builds on a TV ad from earlier this year which potrayed politicians as animals in 'Westminster Zoo'.
Relfecting the increasingly raucous state of British politics, the animals in the campaign have now escaped the confines of the zoo, finding themselves in the wilderness of the jungle.
With a gorilla taking front-and-centre of the campaign, the bold creative will adorn the walls of the tube, with vine surrounding the station's exterior awning.
The famous Transport for London (TfL) roundels will also undergo a wild rebrand, while official station announcements will be inkeeping with the theme.
Adapted tannoy announcements include weather warnings ('The Westminster jungle can be slippery after torrential rainfalls. So walk carefully as floors may be wet, please do not rush and hold onto the handrail'); and safety announcements ('Mind the gap and always stand behind the yellow line. Toe the party line in the political jungle').
The characters of the lion and the unicorn – adapted from the royal crest in The Times’ masthead – represent bringing order to proceedings and will feature on ticket barriers.
The multi-platform campaign will be rolled out online, in print and out of home in the coming weeks.
Lynne Fraser, head of brand and campaigns at The Times and The Sunday Times said: “This activity has taken our political animals out of the zoo and into the jungle: something that we feel represents the shift in the political landscape since we launched the campaign six months ago.
"Reflecting the mood of the nation in a refreshing way we want to reach out to audiences and reassure them that The Times and The Sunday Times are here to guide them through".