Created to celebrate the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s introduction of daily flights to London and Hong Kong, the Virgin taxi cab put the campaign message on wheels. The concept behind the taxi cab was to recreate the experience of a traveller arriving in London to be greeted at the airport doors by the iconic black cab.

Virgin sought a design that incorporated the Union Jack and other elements of their corporate identity, including the flying Virgin swimsuit lady and the vibrant red colour which is closely associated with the brand. The final product was as British as a backpacker with a new year’s hangover on Bondi Beach.

To give the cab a vibrant, ‘freshly painted’ look conformable vinyl was used. Conformable vinyl is flexible, opaque solid colour, high gloss and is often used in vehicle graphics because of its ability to stretch and bend over the many curves and grooves of the vehicle. The vinyl features a durable adhesive, is pressure sensitive and binds decals to low energy plastics and powder coated surfaces such as car paint. Each section on the cab was designed and printed individually before being applied to the roof and side panels.

Designers created their initial concepts using photographs of London cabs before getting their hands on the real thing for a final fitting before the taxi cab’s runway debut. From concept to completion the project took around a month. Virgin Atlantic continues to demonstrate how fresh use of materials can create memorable and eye-catching results.

Flash Photobition: Fredrik Uden, ph: 02 8594 3555 email