Deutsche Bahn

Under the leadership of new Chairwoman Evelyn Palla, Deutsche Bahn has initiated a fundamental strategic reset. The objective is to secure the group’s future viability and regain lost customer trust. Reliability, quality, and economic sustainability are the core priorities.

However, DB’s brand personality did not reflect this dynamic. The current transformation demands a completely overhauled brand personality—one that provides clear guidance and inspiration for the brand’s visual identity across all touchpoints, from advertising and digital services to station environments and beyond.

Together with the strategy consultancy of Unicorns & Lions, we have developed precisely this brand personality for DB.

Images: © Deutsche Bahn AG

With this new brand personality, we are taking a radical step forward alongside DB: we are placing the individuals who give their best every day at the centre of our focus. "The Enablers" ("Die Macher:innen") becomes the core of the new brand identity.

The new identity clarifies what the railway will stand for in the future: taking responsibility, taking action, and continuous optimisation. It defines Deutsche Bahn’s new self-perception and highlights the people who make these changes possible.

Constant progress thus becomes the guiding principle. Visible. Tangible. Experiential.

The new DB is tangibly different. Its "The Enablers" brand personality is compelling, motivational, and confident. Its flexible design and interaction system adds dynamism and emotional depth. The "railway sleeper" plays a pivotal role: inspired by railway tracks, it conveys pride in the brand’s heritage and its core. It symbolises positive energy and the steps—both large and small—that drive the company forward every day. This new self-perception will be rolled out successively across all brand touchpoints over the coming weeks and months: through transparent communication, dynamic programmes, and visible success. "The Enablers" serves as both a promise and a driver of change.