Brand strategy and identity for the Public Transport Ombudsman (PTO).
The Public Transport Ombudsman (PTO) appointed Truly Deeply to refine its brand and articulate clearly what it does, why it exists and the benefits it delivers for the Victorian community.
Truly Deeply’s stakeholder and market research confirmed strong trust in the PTO’s independence and service quality, but also revealed low brand awareness, an outdated visual identity and confusion about the organisation’s full role in the complaints system. The work also highlighted the need for more accessible, plain-language communication, particularly for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and people with disabilities.
Public Transport Ombudsman Ann Jorgensen says the new identity is a meaningful step forward for the organisation.
“We’re thrilled with our new brand identity and how it represents the three parties to our complaint processes – customer, member organisation, and the PTO. It’s the first substantial refresh of our brandmark since the Public Transport Ombudsman (PTO) was established in 2004 and is a key outcome of a recent review of the PTO’s public communications.”
Working closely with senior leadership and stakeholders, Truly Deeply developed a holistic brand strategy built around a clear organising idea: the brand essence ‘move forward fairly’, which captures why the PTO exists, what it stands for and the benefit it provides to the Victorian community. The strategy defined a renewed purpose, principles, values, core customer promise, messaging and personality, with tailored narratives for consumers, members, policymakers and other stakeholders to make the brand easier to understand and engage with.
The personality builds on the PTO’s reputation as independent and influential, while introducing more capable and approachable traits. The result is a clearer, more confident brand voice that uses plain language to reach all of the diverse audiences the PTO serves.
“The new brand has been instrumental in helping the PTO better communicate what we do, and the value we offer our community, industry and government stakeholders”, added Jorgensen.
The new identity centres on a dynamic trinity of arrows representing the three parties in any public transport complaint: the consumer, the operator and the PTO. Together, the arrows unite to form both a wheel, reinforcing the concept of forward motion, and a stylised ‘O’ for Ombudsman, the independent body that brings all parties together to resolve disputes efficiently and fairly while contributing to improved outcomes across the network.
A fresh palette of greens and blues, accented by warm highlights, offers a respectful nod to the past while establishing a more contemporary, approachable and assured feel. The visual system is clean, modern and directional, with the arrow motif creating a distinctive framing device that highlights movement, connection and clarity. Paired with a strong yet approachable font and bold yet personable tone, the identity reflects the PTO’s personality as independent, influential, capable and approachable, positioning the organisation as both a trusted authority and a constructive partner in shaping a better transport experience for all Victorians.
Services As part of the rebrand process, Truly Deeply provided the PTO with a brand and market review, stakeholder research, brand strategy and brand identity design.
About the PTO The Public Transport Ombudsman provides fair and efficient dispute resolution and improves public transport for the Victorian community.
