The BVG took the most boring thing about public transport – seats – and turned them into the biggest medium of Berlin:

Making our whole seat pattern the canvas for a powerful symbol of acceptance and diversity. Visible in all our new buses, subways and streetcars.

This makes us first public transport company in the world that uses its seat pattern in an innovative, and much more important: meaningful way.

The whole world is talking about diversity. But who is really moved by this? Nobody. While others are talking, the BVG is transporting: People in all their diversity.

In other words: We are an authentic reflection of Berlin's diversity. But how do we show that? With an unmistakable statement that no one can miss!

We're changing the BVG's seat pattern: From random patches of color to real human silhouettes. Colorful figures, each more different than the other – representing the diverse people of Berlin. A symbol of acceptance and diversity, permanently displayed in all our buses, subways and streetcars.

Here it’s visible everywhere! And to everyone: the three million Berliners who ride the BVG every day. And who are just as individual and diverse as our new pattern.

Berlin is not only the capital of Germany, but also the international capital of Europe: People from 190 countries live here - and every third one of them has a migration background.

Berliners simply live multiculturalism. And this not only shapes the cityscape, but also Berlin’s public transport company BVG, which transports all these diverse people every day. The BVG is a reflection of diversity, a mirror of Berlin's cultural influences.

That's why we want to give something back to the people of Berlin. To show them that the BVG supports them - no matter who they are, where they come from or what they look like.

And we show this in a "language" that everyone understands: with an impressive pattern that is an unmistakable commitment to diversity.

For this, more than 80 different figures were designed, showing Berliners of different ages, genders, sexual orientations and cultural backgrounds. Simply all the people we transport every day.

The color selection was made based on brand elements:

A reminiscence of previous seat pattern colors as well as new colors. For example, the color yellow was added because it is the color of our brand logo, the BVG heart. On a more abstract level, the different colors of the silhouettes can also be interpreted as different skin tones of our various Berliners.

All told, a project that’s large-scale in several respects: For one thing, the seat pattern will be visible in all new BVG buses, subways and streetcars. And secondly, the diversity pattern is to remain there for many decades. If not forever.

All of Berlin will see the pattern - and of course immediately take it to its heart. Because no matter where you come from or how you look: Everyone could recognize themselves in one of our silhouettes.

With that, BVG was the first public transport company in the world to turn its entire seating area into a canvas for a powerful message.

Our objective was not a film that you watch once or a posting that disappears immediately: We have created a lasting monument that shows Berliners every single day: When it comes to acceptance and diversity, you can count on us. Or rather sit.