The new NATS logo - Wanna laugh ?

[Hermano Lobo]

http://www.vexels.net/images/vexels/3014.jpg
NATS Baby !

http://www.bbcjapan.co.jp/event/050408_fimbles/images/fimbles.jpg

[rolaaand]

That's class. P!ssing myself laughing. Off to print a few off for the ops room.

[danceswithsheep]

Top banana............................ Had to go home sick today after walking into work, and then a wall at speed. It appears the new NATS logo made me dizzy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spamcan defender]

PMSL

Top quality that is.......:ok: :ok:


Spamcan

[Standard Noise]

Made a wee visit to Swanick yesterday, thought they'd taken Rolf Harris on as a maintenance man!

Rolf - "Can you tell what it is yet?"
Staff - "Is it the same s****y company with a new logo?"

[anotherthing]

Danceswithsheep wrote


...after walking into work, and then a wall at speed...


Surely you mean the wall was on speed?

[danceswithsheep]

The new uniform tie looks very freaky. Uniform tie-die next????????????
Even the sheep are laughing

[I'm not joking sir]

The new uniform tie

:confused:

Surely not? Are we being given free branded cr@p?

[chevvron]

I'm wondering why Standard Noise had to visit Swanwick for a wee; don't they have bogs at Bristol?

[anotherthing]

Shown here at:

http://www.ephotozine.com/gallery/showlargepic.cfm?photoid=446213

[Bern Oulli]

A no doubt irrelevent and pointless question, but how much did this "re-branding" cost a company that is always claiming to be on knife-edge in the finance department? Of course, re-branding you know who in the traditional sense would make entertaining if brief television.

[anotherthing]

Have heard 2 figures £1 Million and £1.3 millions

[Gonzo]

Mr. Barron himself said £1m at our open meeting, and that includes everything from consultants' fee to new headed notepaper.

[2miles600feet]

Hermano Lobo

It's interesting that you put that picture up.

I was watching the Fimbles just the other day, and suddenly found myself inextricably considering the concept of safe separation.

In addition, I was struck by the thought that the Fimbles are so much more than just stripes. I found myself perceiving the character of the Fimbles' business - what the Fimbles stand for, and indeed the very way they are.

[booke23]

Have to say, when I arrived in work I nearly phoned the local police......thought the building had been subject to graffiti attack from mindless morons......

.........on second thouhts, maybe thats not as far from the truth as you may think!

[bagpuss lives]

When I see it I don't think "separation flowing meaningfully through the swirling sky..." or whatever the management rubbish says on the Intranet.

I just think circus.

And clowns.

[Gonzo]

On nats.co.uk:The NATS web site has been developed in conformance with Level AA of the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
What what?????:confused:

[danceswithsheep]

Just heard who helped the new marketing plan.......SERCO!!!!!!!lol

[Iron City]

Very easy, Gonzo...It is so the physically or mentally different abled can access the site. Not that a handicap (can I say that or is it "challenge" now?) is any laughing matter, but .... makes you wonder.

[DC10RealMan]

I wondered if NATS hasnt lost the plot!. Our aim is to stop "aeroplanes bumping into one another". Thats all.

[LXGB]

Didn't take long...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NATS-ATC-Air-Traffic-Control-History-UK-Our-Story-Book_W0QQitemZ8401095520QQcategoryZ29391QQssPageNameZWDVWQQr dZ1QQcmdZViewItem

:bored: ;)

[Aluminium Importer]

Also noticed that the headset pictured on the new-look NATS website looks (slightly) better than the ****e that most of us still have to put up with! Is this a case of false advertising?

"leading the industry in terms of technological development" my @rse....

[rolaaand]

[QUOTE=DC10RealMan]I wondered if NATS hasnt lost the plot!. Our aim is to stop "aeroplanes bumping into one another". Thats all.

That's right,"our" aim is to stop the planes hitting each other. Me and you and the rest of the ATCO's. Unfortunately the humble ATCO has been almost forgotten under the current executive teams deluge of corporate buzzword bullsh!t campaign.It's all money,money, money now and despite the fact that we earn the company it's profit by shifting the traffic, we are the highest cost to the company and therefore a terrible hindrance to it.
However despite being a humble ATCO, even I can see that balloting us on one hand to scrap HTD to save £1.5m over the next couple of years, then robbing Peter to pay Paul and splashing out almost the same amount on a re-branding makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Especially when said company logo will make anyone who looks at it think that their coffee has been spiked with some recreational pharmaceuticals,and when they get over the initial shock, they will laugh, just like we all did this morning.
Penny pinching where it really matters and spunking fortunes on trying to promote the company image will become quite a feature of Mr Barron's reign at the top I think. The sooner this muppet gets his P45 and obligatory huge golden handshake the better. Rant over,and relax.

[mocoman]

splashing out almost the same amount on a re-branding makes absolutely no sense whatsoever

Ah but there's the rub.......

Corporate branding and associated costs bear no perceived relevance to operational requirements....(to those that hold the purse-strings)

A sad result of the crap that is 'Free Market Economy' and too many creative/managerial types in positions of influence within what is a 'coal-face' reliant industry.

More managers, less 'doers'; more money wasted on 'product-placement', less money spent on 'requirements'.

For shame....:sad:

[nnelgcta]

The last few posts are so true and it is so sad to see hundreds of superb , dedicated people being led by this current bunch who think that separation is the difference between profit and loss! It makes my decision to leave seem even more justified, but will miss the pension!, or will i!!!! Watch it or else!:uhoh:

[Hermano Lobo]

I can only think you are being sold off ? Or the rest of the Government’s 50% or whatever.
I have only seen the brochure. It was shown to me in a London pub. I couldn’t stop
laughing even though I hadn’t finished my first drink ! Would the CEO join us for
one of his ‘Bar Stool Sessions’ – I bet he wouldn’t buy a round by the looks of him?
I don’t like his face or that of his ‘chum’ Tony Baloni (Blair). I bet they are Clapham
Junction train spotters – they have ‘that’ look !

Strewth the copy in that brochure ! It’s dire ! Wolf Olins, well the less said about them
the better. All that upper case ! In Internet etiquette that is SHOUTING !
Bad really bad. What did these mugs pay for all this, £1 million ++?
They seem to spend much of the brochure justifying those stripes. A logo should reflect
the business, er ....wait a minute you are involved with safety right ? Anyway there
should be a colour conformity about the logo,for instance Virgin. Everybody knows Virgin
and certainly easyJet by the colour. In fact it is so bad I lost my sense
of humour after a while. I understand there is some form of low level naff book that
goes with this brochure ?

With my film interest it took a second to notice the current fascination with 1960’s
imagery. As retro’d by Austin Powers and now even the Fimbles. What’s your
company song ? “We all live in a Yellow Submarine” ?
No,no don’t tell me they wanted to paint everything John Major ‘Grey’ back in the
Mid 1990’s. I bet your management wear violet ties ? (and socks to match ?)

Is this sort of rubbish new to NATS ? Or have you been suffering this type of
bovine-scatology for a while ? Is the genuine aviation person a dying breed ?
Is this obsession with money and costs safe ?

Who will be your next CEO, Michael O’Leary ? – Heaven forbid !

As someone keen on aviation I would imagine the real ATC staff are dedicated
Professionals. I feel a concern for them.

Remember the last line of the recent Budget ? “£30 Billion will be raised through
Government sell-offs.” I bet you are included in that figure. What ‘pirates’ are waiting
in the wings ? Ryanair or Serco ? Things seem to be going that way ?

If that is that case I will be taking the train to Spain in the future !

Maybe it is easy for me on the outside looking in, perhaps I am an aviation purist ?
Or I am just appalled by that stripy brochure and the execrable copy.

Yours concerned of Wapping & Wardour St.
Brother Wolf

Here are some more illusions:-
http://www.leib-und-leben.com/px/spez01.jpg

http://www.bigblackpig.com/painting/purple1.jpg

[BEXIL160]

New "logo", corporate "branding"....

ahem, all complete b*llocks of course.

As most will remember Big Airlines tried a similar "rebranding exercise" with all those terrible tailfins etc etc. Funnily enough the most fervent free market advocate at the time (Maggie T) thought it was complete b*llocks as well. Draped her hankie over a model of one of the BA airliners as I recall and uttered a few choice words.

The Travelling Public (CUSTOMERS) thought the same. At a huge cost BA was forced to "rebrand" yet again, returning to a recognisable verion of the union flag.

So, here in the 21st century what is NATS Plc up to? A completely rubbish logo having absolutely no relevance. Repeating the same costly mistakes made by management in other industries.

It appears that these "management" types don't seem to learn by their errors, indeed they appear to insist on repeating them, using the same crappy justifications. And they get away with it time and time again. Nobody fails them, or sends them for retraining. Why not?

I find it curious that a company that continually states that it's "staff are it's greatest asset", never seems to listen to them, but is content to listen and act on the latest management claptrap, much of which is recycled and much of which doesn't work for ATC.

Office Empires have been built and woe betide any operational staff who would point out "the emporer has no clothes".

Best rgds
BEX

P.S. There was an alternative logo available. The old CAA / NATS one, which had a neat little Arrow tacked on the end of the letters. Cost? Probably very little.

[ayrprox]

Bex,
sorry i've been on leave, if there was another option available did our esteemed mangement think of asking the opinion of the people working for them to see what they thought of the options, or did they, as i would expect them to have done, just give it to one of their friends(maybe an ex alstom employee,nah that's too cynical of me) to design.

[Hermano Lobo]

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
-George Santayana

:eek:

1) Hold a competition amongst the employees to design a logo and offer
a prize of £10,000.
2) Commission the ATCO's who write books on aviation history to write the free book.
3) You have just saved £1,280,000

[throw a dyce]

I am having difficulty in looking at some of these designs without going cross-eyed.Especially where the lines narrow down,it makes me squint and everything else gets blurred.
It's ok for a short time,but if everything is going to be plastered with these Bl :mad: :mad: y: lines this isn't good.Has an AME seen these? Is it just me?:uhoh:

[danceswithsheep]

I have figured out the logos................................................If you look very closely and then focus just beyond the page....................................Carefully you should make out the future...........................................Yes........ .......Yes..............Yes.....................getting screwed for another pay deal to pay for this sh1te.


Thankfully, if this does turn into a BA farce, there is plenty in the pension fund to pay for another advertising company to see a sucker coming!!!!!!!

[Standard Noise]

I'm wondering why Standard Noise had to visit Swanwick for a wee; don't they have bogs at Bristol?

OI! Chevvron, you taking the p!ss?
Although yer not far wrong and anyway, the nice nursey gave me a cup to fill!

[wizad]

upon arriving at work the other day, east entrance looked like a poor effort at a nightclub with funny, swirly colours in the window.
was dissapointed to find out we werent getting a clown and ice cream on watch......

[Turn It Off]

Wizad,

Dont you have watch managers ?! :} :}

TIO

P.S. For my watch manger that reads, that was a joke! :} :}

[tug3]

NO! Don't look - you'll become one of THEM!!!

http://www.cedifop.it/gif/More%203%20D/SWIRL.GIF

Rgds
T3

[wizad]

lets spend more money on sparkly, shiny things..... didnt want a pension anyway.... hows about an ice cream van in LTCC car park.
comments on a card to aramark.

[atcomarkingtime]

Got my book....got my leaflet.....got my payslip....got my tie thingy to put my pass on.....got a transfer to the flying circus!
Gotta go......BACK IN A ROLY-MO......fimbles...fimbles...
I must admit, they seem to have designed and based the srtripey separation thing on my vectoring....must copyright that!

[wizad]

i was under the impression that the company wanted us to be taken seriously, so the brave move to commission a bunch of hippy art students with to much richard and judy mixed with their 'special baccy' to render the new logo is still leaving me baffled.

[Spamcan defender]

Got my book etc as well. Very impressed with the free beverage voucher. Milked it for all it was worth when I got to TC canteen. Funny how the bloke behind the counter instinctively knew I would go for an extra tall, super-deluxe with all the trimmings :D :D .

To be fair, the books actually not too bad (preparing to be flamed LOL)....Some interesting historical things in it. OK, the stuff towards the end might be propaganda but overall, not bad.


Spamcan

[2miles600feet]

One of the 'interesting historical things' being the picture on page 15 of multiple black faces wedged into tiny booths whilst being looked down on by a single white male.

It looks for all the world like CATC spent the 1970s factory farming ethnic minorities.

Given the size of the photo library which one assumes NATS has at its disposal, to use that picture must rank as one of the worst pieces of judgement ever known to man.

[clearthedecks]

Corporate re-branding is often used by companies to cover up costs which they don't want to account for. If a company has 'lost' money, or does not want to account for where it has gone (as it may show some incompetencies among the board) rebranding is a convenient way of covering it up. You can say that it cost £1Million to rebrand the company, when actually if you really knew where £1 Million went, some directors would be collecting their P45.

Not suggesting this is the case here, but just adding my 2p worth.

[CloggyUK]

Very impressed with the free beverage voucher.
Spamcan

I didn't get one. I guess i'd better look at this stuff again. Or could this be a try to divide the troops?

C

[danceswithsheep]

Checked again for the free beverage voucher. Nothing there. Is this the new way to seperate the troops. If we get one, would we be able to spend it in the new bar they have put into Scottish??????
Mind you, its only 25p a pint. Better to use the voucher on the free coffee we get for 14 weeks of no delays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Me Me Me Me]

Corporate re-branding is often used by companies to cover up costs which they don't want to account for. If a company has 'lost' money, or does not want to account for where it has gone (as it may show some incompetencies among the board) rebranding is a convenient way of covering it up. You can say that it cost £1Million to rebrand the company, when actually if you really knew where £1 Million went, some directors would be collecting their P45.
Not suggesting this is the case here, but just adding my 2p worth.

True.. but not the case with us I dont think. They genuinely do just throw silly money at consultants for things like this.

[Standard Noise]

They genuinely do just throw silly money at consultants for things like this.
That's as may be, but my bloody dog could've come up with something better than that, and all for a tin of Pedigree Chum!....................and a hundred grand for her wonderful owner.:E

[Me Me Me Me]

That's as may be, but my bloody dog could've come up with something better than that, and all for a tin of Pedigree Chum!....................and a hundred grand for her wonderful owner.:E

Fancied a go myself! :8

[wizad]

hhhmmmmmm.... im thinking e-bay

[foghorn]

Funny how the bloke behind the counter instinctively knew I would go for an extra tall, super-deluxe with all the trimmings :D :D .

I wondered why there were just so many people around TC yesterday clutching the caffeine addict's version of a can of Special Brew. I should have known (and thought meself when I cashed mine in for a little 'un :sad: ).

[I'm not joking sir]

I got all my free crap associated with this debacle today.
The scariest thing (even more so than the cost of it all) is the way management all the way down to a lot of Watch Managers have bought into all this bulls:mad: t. It really is the emporer's new clothes. I've heard and read things from people who I've always thought as being pretty down to earth and it's as though they've been possessed by buzzword-spouting aliens. It's not worth trying to give an honest opinion about it all because you just get threatened with being burnt at the stake for heresy!
I've been in NATS just long enough to remember New Horizons and how that wasn't the great new dawn that was promised. However, I've never felt that as a group of workers we've been so far adrift from our managers. We're constantly getting told that "the staff are NATS" but I genuinely think most of them have forgotten that it's about safe, orderly and expeditous flow of air traffic and now think that it's about playing at running a business that doesn't actually do anything and seeing who can come up with the most new buzzwords, (or in their words, "being progressive").
Only 32 years to go though. :eek:

[Ali Bongo]

I think you lot need to go to "Brand Camp" ....:ok:

I'll get my coat ..........:uhoh:

[foghorn]

What was the problem with the exisiting logo anyway? Did the CAA want it back?

[BDiONU]

What was the problem with the exisiting logo anyway? Did the CAA want it back?
Yes they did.

[YDOIBOTHA]

Eye-popping NATS
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/graphics/2006/03/28/ccdairy28.gif
Here's the new logo for the air traffic controller NATS, which has changed its name to - NATS.
Bored with the dull blue and white crest inherited from the Civil Aviation Authority, the brand junkies have gone wild.
Apparently, this Austin Powers-style colour scheme is "designed to bring alive NATS' ambitions".
"It points to our future as we strive to lead the way technically, operationally, commercially and politically."
Dizzy yet? You should take a look at the website.:)

[BDiONU]

Apparently, this Austin Powers-style colour scheme is "designed to bring alive NATS' ambitions".
"It points to our future as we strive to lead the way technically, operationally, commercially and politically."
Groovy baby yeah! But i still prefer the Fimbles pictures which have been whizzing around the company email system :D
For those that don't know what a fimble is: http://www.bbcmagazines.com/fimbles/

BD

[Gonzo]

And if you stare at it for twenty seconds from a distance of 40cm, you can see a dinosaur!

[Bigears]

Rolaaand, That's right,"our" aim is to stop the planes hitting each other. Me and you and the rest of the ATCO's.
What about the rest of ''our'' Team, some of whom are not as directly involved, but still have the same aim?

[chiglet]

Bigears..
P'raps "their" aim ain't so good:rolleyes:
watp,iktch

[VectorLine]

Apparently NATS Ltd was going to be the official name because the simple version, 'NATS', was taken by abother company. So a 'sum of money' exchanged hands.

[tug3]

Could be worse...
http://nat.crgq.com/images/nats%20logo_big.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/natsmontreal/nats_logo.gif
http://www.nats.nu/images/logo.gif
http://www.nats.us/images/new_home_slices_2/nats_homepage_2.gif
http://manila.esu6.org/jpolak/picture$14
http://www.nats.ac.jp/i/image/top_logo.gif
http://www.nats2005.com/_static/images/www/nonAuthenticated/eng/logo_home_header.gif
http://www.sonirodban.com/f_nats.jpg

Or to be really radical..
http://studios.doc.ic.ac.uk/Companies/nats_logo.gif

Oops - forgot! Can't use that one any more! So, how about
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/graphics/2006/03/28/ccdairy28.gif

Definately an outright winner!

Rgds
T3

PS NATS Ltd does exist - a simple search turned up http://www.nats.ltd.uk/ , as opposed to http://www.nats.co.uk/

[throw a dyce]

You should have seen Jon Snow's socks on Channel 4 news tonight.SPECTACULAR:ok:
They were exactly the same as this Re Branding guff.Any breach of copyright there:uhoh:

[Honey Monster]

The old logo looked vaguely like a contrail which was at least connected with the job.

The new logo looks like a humbug which is possibly why management chose it.

Reg Ford

[2 sheds]

From the BBC Fimbles website...

"The Fimbles take children aged 2-4 on a magical journey of discovery, finding all kinds of new and exciting objects to learn about. This beautiful magazine is full of activities and stories to inspire young children to discover new things in their world."

So there you have it - "Destinations" and the NATS News.

(Hi, Reg)

[DC10RealMan]

I was told recently that operational resources at Swanwick who declined to change their identity card cords from the subdued old blue one to the multi coloured were being "encouraged" by members of the management to change them "or else". Personally if this is true then I would have thought that they had more important issues to address, but it wouldnt surprise me.

[rolaaand]

What about the rest of ''our'' Team, some of whom are not as directly involved, but still have the same aim?

That was in response to DC10's post who said that NATS aim is to stop aircraft bumping into each other. I was merely suggesting that a hell of a lot of NATS employees have no idea what an operational ops room does. This rebranding nonsense has obviously been a hot topic at work this cycle and I've yet to find any operational ATCO, ATSA or Engineer who is in favour of it-with the exception of the few managerial types who seem to have been transformed from reasonable types into NATS promoting machines almost overnight.The younger folk on my watch, myself included, are busy calling Mr Barron names-whereas the older generation have a world weary "i've seen this next best thing before" look,but to their credit still find the time to call Mr Barron names.
I will be attending one of Paul's barstool sessions next Friday lunchtime to voice my concerns,and maybe call him some names:E

[Bigears]

Rolaaand,
I agree with what you say- I sometimes wonder if the Ops Room is there for the benefit of (some) of the office types, instead of the reverse.
Non-ATCO's get a bit upset when it appears that others suggest they don't have an ongoing 'thing' about safety, but I now see that it wasn't intended :)
We're a bit sensitive that way. :O

[BALIX]

Hey, I got my nice stripey necklace thingy today :ok: Just one minor point (to go with all the others) : it doesn't have a detatchable bit at the end so you have to take the whole shemozle off to plug your pass into OPM. The old ones were much better in that regard, not that I ever used mine. (I use a Boston Red Sox one which is much more robust and comes complete with detatchable end bit...)

Still, if rebranding has taught me one thing, it is this: those necklace thingies that you hang your pass on are called lanyards.

I honestly never knew that :confused:

[Barry Cuda]

I use a Boston Red Sox one which is much more robust and comes complete with detatchable end bit...



Sounds a bit like Varitek going after A-Rod....!!!


Sorry, off topic slightly!!!



Go Yankees

[danceswithsheep]

BALIX, You have hit the nail into Barrons head!! This rebranding has had nothing to do with the staff and thats who should have been asked. The lanyards are cheap and pointless for staff on OPM and I like you use another (NATCA, is this another sign??). It unclips and generally looks more robust. I know its a petty point but this is the only gizit from the company for this and its pish:yuk: . Bear in mind thats from a union!!!!!!

Use £1.5m to give us coffee machinrs that work, radar screens as good as the TMA on Hebs/Moray, or decent headsets that work, are lightweight and bluetooth/wireless???????

I also will be at the Paul Barron Bar Steward session with comments like this, lets see what the answers are????????

[Gonzo]

I also had a Boston Red Sox lanyard, until a colleague of mine yanked it out of my back pocket and broke it.:{

Now I'm back to using a Roots Canada one. Don't think I'll be using the new one....:yuk:

[Warped Factor]

Off to Disney in Orlando on Monday...must see if I can find a Mickey Mouse lanyard to bring back.

WF.

[Widger]

From an outsider looking in...I can see the need for a rebranding, you needed a new broom if you are going to compete and take over the whole of Europe....Bwahahahah. However, what is the NATS logo?...you now have so many different colour combinations. There is not one item apart from the new typeface that is recognisable as NATS. Look at the Eurocontrol logo and you know what it is (even if that is cr@p as well). Right idea but poor execution with some consultant getting a bit carried away.

[Rage]

It seems that the stripes theme is popular amongst transportation companies currently rebranding.

Check out www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk which today launched it's new corporate image - it seems as though they thought about it a bit more.............

[Captain Mayday]

http://www.jaspercarrott.com/

What a ####ing joke.

Get these tits out of their offices .... and onto the dole

:yuk:

[2 sheds]

I might be more convinced if I ever heard from some of these management clowns - from any company - what exactly "rebranding" means and achieves. Do they seriously think that it influences anyone worth influencing?

In the current case, it certainly influences much of the aviation community to have a good laff! More seriously, what is so regrettable is that it presents such a garish, undignified image.

[Barry Cuda]

Mrs Cuda studied the handouts I was given yesterday (the book, the pamphlet and the necklace) and said that to her the new colourscheme was, amongst other things....


"indecisive and clashing, 2 things you don't really want associated with Air Traffic Control...".


She can be quite insightful when she wants to be!

[I'm not joking sir]

One of my housemates asked me the other night when they saw the new lanyard, "is that from one of those low cost airlines? Which one?" NATSjet. Now there's a thought. :uhoh:

[danceswithsheep]

Went clubbing last night......got offered £10 for "funky pass holder"......is this the new recruitment plan for enticing drugged up teenagers into the business?:ooh:

Barry, whats your wife doing with such clever thoughts? Thats uncalled for after a hard day in the ops room!!!:confused: Perhaps she should have been paid the £1.5m......all in agreement, hands up

[Barry Cuda]

And all that from a humble nurse...!!! The NHS is in real trouble if she ever decides to fight them!!!