Clear Channel

In the spring of 2004, Clear Channel began in earnest the work of gaining access to some of SL's underground carriages for outdoor branding. The issue had been on the table earlier on but was rejected for various reasons, mainly in terms of fire safety.

During the same autumn Brand Factory was entrusted to work with Clear Channel to present a solution that met the functional requirements for adhesiveness, detachability, sustainability, environmental friendliness as well as for safety. It was essential that the material unconditionally fulfilled the requirements and specifications for railway services which mainly operate in tunnels underground. This required a material that until then had not met the public eye.
 
As a leading global supplier of high quality film material, 3M and its armada of researchers recognised this approaching demand, and in parallel with the efforts in Stockholm had developed just such a material in its laboratories. The material was PVC-free and fulfilled all the requirements set by SL. In addition, the material offered good properties for production as well as for assembly and disassembly. These coincidences were of course crucial to the project's further development.
 
In mid-December 2004 it was time for the premiere journey of the first fully-wrapped underground carriage! Aftonbladet, which is keen to be "first with the latest", was the first advertiser, and as a professional media buyer created acceptance for the medium.
Shortly afterwards the "tube" was embellished with colourful creations from Heinz Ketchup, Puma, Sony Ericsson, Eniro etc. that really stood out in the media clutter.
 
The total external surface of an underground carriage measures about 300 square metres and takes approximately 80 man-hours to complete. Only fitters with special training are allowed to carry out the demanding and time-critical work which is invariably carried out on weekends, when traffic is not as intense as on weekdays.