Why the London Underground travelcard is called an Oyster card.
Actually now you mention it, it’s a pretty weird name
So, why is the London Underground Oyster card called the Oyster card.
When the Oyster card was envisaged, it needed a name. It couldn’t be called ‘Travelcard’ because that is something completely different.
The team tasked with creating a new name for the card also thought about calling it Pulse or Gem, but in the end, They chose Oyster.
It was apparently chosen because it was not associated with either travel or London.
I have always thought that the card wallet that you are given when you buy your Oystercard is like an oyster shell, and the card is the pearl in the middle.
And after reading the article linked below, I find out that Andrew McCrum, of Saatchi and Saatchi Design, said of the name: “Oyster was conceived … because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames Estuary oyster beds and the major relevance of the popular idiom ‘the world is your oyster’ were also significant factors in its selection.”
So, Oyster IS associated with both travel AND London!
It’s always good to base designs and names with some relevance to the thing, place or company you are creating for. A little secret!
Read more from the source: Why the London Underground travelcard is called an Oyster card – MyLondon
