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The two companies highlighted their milestone occasions with a special rock 'n' roll-inspired event. It featured one of London’s new Routemaster buses, which had been wrapped in a Fender-inspired design including an image of a giant Stratocaster guitar.
The bus played host to a selection of the capital’s new and unsigned musical talent, with Cambridge rock band Violet Bones crowned the winners of a competition hosted by Strummerville - the Joe Strummer new music foundation.
As part of the brand collaboration, Fender has produced 25 limited-edition guitars echoing the design of a Routemaster bus, incorporating the TfL ‘Roundel’ logo and a moquette-style seat fabric design.
"There is an inexorable link between Fender and iconic British music from The Yardbirds and The Who to bands like The Clash, Blur and more," said Justin Norvell, vice president of marketing for Fender. "Our histories and futures are intertwined, and this Routemaster bus is a fantastic way to honour that musical and historical connection."
Leon Daniels, TfL’s managing director of surface transport, added: "We are delighted to celebrate the 60th anniversary of two design icons in such a unique way.
"The bus network has played a crucial and unsung role in London’s rich musical heritage for many decades – transporting thousands upon thousands of music lovers to gigs at venues right across the city every week – and, perhaps even more importantly, getting them home safely after those amazing performances they will never forget."
The customised Fender bus will now serve the number 24 route, which TfL has dubbed London’s ‘musical heritage route’. It will visit Camden, the home of the Jazz Cafe and Roundhouse, a London street known as ‘tin pan alley’, a focal point of British music, and Oxford Street where the 100 Club has entertained music fans for decades.
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