MBTA

Official Websites

• https://www.mbta.com

Brand Guidelines

2013

Brand Summary

Mission

• To provide reliable, efficient, and modern transportation, serving as the heartbeat of Boston and playing an irreplaceable role in people’s lives.

Core Values

• reliability
• efficiency
• dedication
• service
• progress
• inclusivity

Target Audience

• Internal customers (MBTA employees across diverse roles) and external customers (a wide demographic including daily commuters, tourists, students, seniors, and disabled customers from all backgrounds).

Personality Traits

• warm
• welcoming
• informative
• solid
• helpful
• direct
• respectful
• authoritative
• motivational

Visual Identity Overview

• The MBTA visual identity centers on the iconic ‘T’ logo, vibrant color-coded transit lines, clean and classic typography (Helvetica and Garamond), and imagery featuring real employees and gleaming vehicles, all designed to convey simplicity, professionalism, and inclusivity.

Categories

Brand Voice

• Because we are here to make people’s lives easier, our communications must always be easy to read, easy to understand (without condescension),and appeal to all ages,from all walks of life.
• The voice of the T is never elitist nor comedic. Our tone is warm, welcoming,informative and solid.Because there’s a trust factor involved, and because we are funded by the taxpayer,our tone is helpful,direct and respectful.
• We don’t tell people what to do. We ask that they do something, and explain the necessity for our request.When it’s appropriate,we can be funny, but not “ha-ha” funny. We are not gimmicky. Above all, we are sensitive to the diversity of our customer base and the multitude of languages they speak.Our messaging must translate accurately,particularly in Spanish and Chinese.
• What we look for in our communications is simplicity. We like to be sure that no one ever has to go back and read a T communication a second time to understand it.We believe in the basic advertising precept of “compel/persuade,” first capturing the target audience’s attention, then conveying the key message.
• The voice of our corporate communications is official. Here, we put on our authoritative hat and communicate in a corporate tone. Because we are a unique entity–a branch of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) reporting to the governor of Massachusetts–our corporate communications must be appropriate in tone for a wide range of federal,state,civic,and regional agencies.
• Our key internal audience is our fellow employees. T associates are dedicated, hardworking people supporting the T’s infrastructure, policies and security. Apart from our fellow state and federal offices, our top goal is to reassure and motivate T associates. We want to show how much we value their work, as evidenced in “TeamWorks” (our internal newsletter),and in “Serving with Pride” (the internal communications venue of our general manager).

Brand Imagery

• We use photography because it is real. We want our visuals to be crisp, clear accounts of a world of progress within the T. Imagery should always create a positive experience for the potential T customer.
• We use real T people doing their real jobs.
• We show a wide range of job functions and system locations.
• The T in its best light. Employees should be neatly dressed in their complete and proper uniforms, wearing big smiles. Our vehicles should be gleaming, and our station shots should be free of debris and graffiti.
• We draw from our photo library and shoot photography, according to need, with our staff photographer.
• Illustration and artists’ renderings are usually used to depict future projects.

Color Palette

• Color is literally pivotal to the identification of our system lines.Color is equally important to our marketing communications.Vibrant color reverberates against the stainless steel, concrete and engines of our profession. The T “spider” map is also a timeless design, articulating each T subway line:
• PMS 347 The Green Line:This color was chosen because the Green Line travels along the trees and suburban lawns of Brookline and Newton.The subway runs from the Lechmere area and heads west to Boston College and Chestnut Hill.
• PMS 144 The Orange Line: Orange was chosen because this line previously ran along Washington Street,once known as the Orange Way.This subway runs from the Malden/Medford area and heads southwest to Forest Hills.
• PMS 185 The Red Line:The color choice was based on the Harvard Crimson because this subway leaves from Harvard Square in Cambridge,and heads southeast to Braintree and Quincy.
• PMS 285 The Blue Line: Because this line runs along the coast,it was named for the blue of the Atlantic.This subway extends from the Government Center area to Logan Airport. Other Modes of Transportation:
• Yellow: Buses
• PMS 122 Gray: Silver Line PMS 430 Aqua: Commuter Boats and Ferries PMS 312 Purple: Commuter Rail PMS 247

Typography

• The MBTA fonts for all standard communication pieces are Helvetica and Garamond. Classic, clean, and never out-of-style, these type faces perfectly express the MBTA. The entire families of Helvetica and Garamond may be used, such as Helvetica Black and Garamond Condensed. The fonts can be found in the MASTER FONTS folder.

Logo Usage

• The MBTA logo is a trademarked symbol and must be handled as such. Versions other than those shown below should be disposed of from your library. All acceptable logos are found in the MASTER FILES directory on the server.
• It is important for the logo to maintain its original proportions. Do not alter or reproportion the logo elements and their relationships.
• The white version of the logo may be used on dark backgrounds.
• The white fill logo should be used on backgrounds that are tinted less than 50%.
• The MBTA “signature” shown below must appear as the last printed element on all printed material.
• Two lines for tall, vertical documents.
• One line for wide, horizontal documents.

Tone And Messaging

• Because we are here to make people’s lives easier, our communications must always be easy to read, easy to understand (without condescension),and appeal to all ages,from all walks of life.
• The voice of the T is never elitist nor comedic. Our tone is warm, welcoming,informative and solid.Because there’s a trust factor involved, and because we are funded by the taxpayer,our tone is helpful,direct and respectful.
• We don’t tell people what to do. We ask that they do something, and explain the necessity for our request.When it’s appropriate,we can be funny, but not “ha-ha” funny. We are not gimmicky. Above all, we are sensitive to the diversity of our customer base and the multitude of languages they speak.Our messaging must translate accurately,particularly in Spanish and Chinese.
• What we look for in our communications is simplicity. We like to be sure that no one ever has to go back and read a T communication a second time to understand it.We believe in the basic advertising precept of “compel/persuade,” first capturing the target audience’s attention, then conveying the key message.
• The voice of our corporate communications is official. Here, we put on our authoritative hat and communicate in a corporate tone. Because we are a unique entity–a branch of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) reporting to the governor of Massachusetts–our corporate communications must be appropriate in tone for a wide range of federal,state,civic,and regional agencies.
• Our key internal audience is our fellow employees. T associates are dedicated, hardworking people supporting the T’s infrastructure, policies and security. Apart from our fellow state and federal offices, our top goal is to reassure and motivate T associates. We want to show how much we value their work, as evidenced in “TeamWorks” (our internal newsletter),and in “Serving with Pride” (the internal communications venue of our general manager).

Brand Values

• The MBTA is the nation’s 4th largest transportation system.We are also America’s first subway system and an established brand.And yet the T is a constantly evolving entity, always modernizing and improving, always moving forward.
• We’ve shifted our focus from the magnificent engines that power our vehicles to the diverse faces of our internal and external target audiences. After all, we are a “people”business.
• When people and visitors in Massachusetts make transportation choices,we are considered “tried and true”–the one system that works when all others fails.We are the heartbeat of Boston. And we are dedicated to this responsibility, playing an irreplaceable role in people’s lives.Our marketing has to reflect that we love our role and our place in Massachusetts’ history.

Visual Style

• We use photography because it is real. We want our visuals to be crisp, clear accounts of a world of progress within the T. Imagery should always create a positive experience for the potential T customer.
• We use real T people doing their real jobs.
• We show a wide range of job functions and system locations.
• The T in its best light. Employees should be neatly dressed in their complete and proper uniforms, wearing big smiles. Our vehicles should be gleaming, and our station shots should be free of debris and graffiti.
• We draw from our photo library and shoot photography, according to need, with our staff photographer.
• Illustration and artists’ renderings are usually used to depict future projects.
• The MBTA logo is a trademarked symbol and must be handled as such. Versions other than those shown below should be disposed of from your library. All acceptable logos are found in the MASTER FILES directory on the server.
• It is important for the logo to maintain its original proportions. Do not alter or reproportion the logo elements and their relationships. The white version of the logo may be used on dark backgrounds. The white fill logo should be used on backgrounds that are tinted less than 50%.
• The MBTA “signature” shown below must appear as the last printed element on all printed material. • Two lines for tall, vertical documents. • One line for wide, horizontal documents.

Additional Properties