Accessibility concerns over Bakerl0.0 line advertising rebrand

The commercial rebranding of a London Underground line may cause “unnecessary confusion” for some passengers, a disability rights charity has said.

Signage along central London Bakerloo line stations are being rebranded as “Bakerl0.0” and “Waterl0.0” as part of an advertising campaign by Heineken to promote its zero alcohol products.

Emma Vogelmann from Transport for All said getting around London with confidence and ease depended on having “consistent, recognisable information across the Tube network”.

Transport for London (TfL) said advertising campaigns provide additional funding and are “fully assessed to ensure they do not impact services, staff or customers”.

The Dutch beer brand said it was partnering with TfL to help “keep Londoners’ social lives on track” during what will be a alcohol-free “dry January” for many.

While Heineken’s rebranding is more subtle than some previous campaigns – including Burberry’s 2024 renaming of Old Street and Bond Street stations – Ms Voglemann said name and navigation signs should not be altered as part of advertising as it creates unnecessary confusion.

She added: “For many people – including those with visual impairments, learning disabilities, neurodivergent people, or people who experience fatigue or brain fog – these campaigns can turn a routine journey into a stressful or unsafe one.”

She said accessibility wasn’t optional, and that there was plenty of advertising space on the Tube network “without undermining essential information”.

Emma Strain from TfL said the organisation was “always keen to work with brands to create new experiences” for the millions of people who travel on the network.

She added that the funding raised through advertising deals was invested into London’s transport network to provide further improvements.

Burberry’s temporary name change of the two stations netted TfL £500,000.