Whole industries are devoted to the design and implementation of corporate images. Everything from the font, logo, mission statement, colours and more are carefully constructed, tested with focus groups, modified on the basis of feedback and rolled out to what the company fondly believes is a waiting world. I'm sure some take an interest in such things, and I have to say that, up to a point, I do. But, most people, in my experience, care little about them.
However, it doesn't matter whether or not you consciously think about the corporate face a company projects because, through repeated advertising, the public gradually absorbs the information the company requires. There can be few people in the UK who don't know that the Co-operative now uses light green as its main corporate colour, and quite a few of those will remember that it was preceded by a distinctive turquoise. Familiarity with a company's corporate image doesn't breed contempt so much as indifference, and yet despite that it still does its work.When I studied today's photograph I wondered what prompted the "refresh" of the Co-op's image, and when I first came to realise that it had changed. All I remember is that I eventually came to notice the transformation. My other thought concerned Total's logo and colours - when did it change from three oblique strokes in red, blue and orange into the swirly ball shown above, and why had I not noticed in this instance? I put it down to the relative rarity of Total petrol stations compared with their competitors and the fact that as far as fuel for my car goes, like most people, I'm price-sensitive rather than brand-sensitive.
I came upon this petrol station as we walked through Settle in the Yorkshire Dales one evening. It was nestled in its own pool of light, one of the brightest points in this part of a quite dark market town.
photograph and text © Tony Boughen
Camera: Olympus E-M10
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 12mm (24mm - 35mm equiv.)
F No: f2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
ISO:6400
Exposure Compensation: -0.7 EV
Image Stabilisation: On
