BRANDING NEWS: WELCOME BREAK ROLLS OUT IDENTITY REVAMP
By Melanie Godsell
Welcome Break, the motorway services operator, has overhauled its corporate identity, 'retiring' the flying-swan device that has been a design feature for almost 20 years. The Welcome Break name now appears on signage in vibrant green and white capitals. Each area within the motorway services, such as Welcome Break Shop and Welcome Break Games, have been given sub-identities using the same font.
Each of the company's 24 sites will feature recognisable photography related to the site's locality: Fleet on the M3 features a backdrop of pine trees, Oxford on the M40 features images of the city's architecture, and Gordano services on the M5 - on the route to Devon - features beach imagery. Fitch revamped the Welcome Break brand with the aim of creating stand-out from its competitors, which include Moto, which has 43 service areas, and Roadchef.
The new look was trialled at three sites duirng the summer. The roll-out to the entire estate is expected to be completed by early next year. An average motorway services area receives between 10,000 and 20,000 visits a day, with the average visit lasting 28 minutes, according to Mintel. Last May, Welcome Break undertook a PR campaign to position itself as a good place to conduct business meetings in an attempt to emphasise the improving standards and stop what it called "motorway services-bashing". Welcome Break owner Investcorp has invested £170m in the services network since acquiring it in 1997.