A landmark sponsorship deal will see a London Underground station renamed after a bottled water product for 24 hours to coincide with the London Marathon.
Signs at Jubilee Line station Canada Water will be replaced by ‘Buxton Water’ with branded artwork located throughout the station on Sunday 26 April, the same day as the London Marathon.
Revenue generated from the deal will go towards Transport for London’s (TfL) £3.4bn target for non-fare related income over the next decade.
The deal marks the first time TfL has sold the naming rights to one of its stations in the 152-year history of the network.
However the main station entrance sign will remain unchanged and customers will be reminded that the name switch is part of a one-day deal.
Buxton Water, owned by Nestlé Water, has been the official water provider of the Virgin Money London Marathon for two years.
Director of commercial development at TfL, Graeme Craig, said: `This is a significant deal and the revenue will be reinvested back into our network for the benefit of our customers.’
Caroline Juin, head of marketing at Nestlé Waters UK, said the firm was ‘really excited to be a part of this ground breaking sponsorship’.
Race director at the Virgin Money London Marathon, Hugh Brasher, said the partnership between Nestlé Water and TfL was ‘a great example of how sponsors of the marathon are engaging with not only the runners but also the estimated three quarters of a million spectators that line the course’.
However general secretary of the RMT union, Mick Cash, slammed the deal as 'the thin end of a very long wedge that opens the door for those with corporate power and money to rip up the transport map of London.'
