Arriva buses: the extras with a certain sense of x-factor

They're not the stars you tend to associate with the silverscreen, but Arriva's buses are starting to get a bit of areputation as screen luvvies.

With broadcast appearances in soaps and documentaries to rolesin Hollywood blockbusters, the buses are fast emerging as extraswith x-factor.

An Arriva bus was even spotted on the latest Bridget Jones'movie 'The Edge of Reason' (it travels past Bridget as shestands soaking wet in a London street).

Catherine Mason, customer services and marketing director ofArriva's UK Bus division, said:

We've reached the point now where it is not unusual tosee our vehicles on TV – and this is the second time we knowof that they've made it to the silver screen.

An Arriva bus was featured in Hollywood blockbuster '51 stState' with Samuel L Jackson and Robert Carlyle. And appearances onCoronation Street, Jane Goldman Investigates and Merseybeat arenot unusual.

But it's TV adverts and backdrop coverage on news broadcastswhere Arriva really gets its air time. Advertisements for Fiat,Peugeot, Wind-eze Gel Caps and Aunt Bessies Steak Pies are allreported to have featured a discreet Arriva bus in thebackground.

True, many of the appearances are based on luck and being inservice at the time and location of filming, however Arrivareceives dozens of requests every year from film productioncompanies who want to use its buses to play a part in theirproductions.

"We're very selective"

said Catherine Mason.

Like any star, our buses have a reputation and, likeany agent, we check out all opportunities to see whether each oneis appropriate.

And its not unusual for customers to give Arriva a quick call toadvise them that they've spotted their local heroes of the road onTV.

Catherine Mason said:

The Arriva brand, which was born only seven years ago,now travels across eight European countries on some 12,000 buses,giving us a major presence in a variety of regions.

Ends

Note to editors

Arriva buses have been spotted on the following programmes andfilms as well as a significant amount of news broadcasts. Most ofthese items were sourced fromwww.busstation.net.

• 'The Edge of Reason' – Bridget Jones
• '51st State' – with Samuel L Jackson and RobertCarlyle
• TV advert – Aunt Bessies Steak Pies (remember the rabbitthat went missing?)
• TV advert – Fiat Punto
• TV advert – Peugeot
• TV advert 'Wind-eze Gel Caps'
• Music video – Zero 7
• Top Gear (BBC)
• Banzai (E4/C4)
• Nice Guy Eddie (BBC) with Ricky Tomlinson
• Coronation Street (ITV)
• The Bill (ITV)
• Jane Goldman Investigates (Living TV)
• Merseybeat (BBC)
• Painting the Past (Yorkshire TV)
• Red Mist (ITV documentary)
• So What Do You Do All Day? (BBC documentary)
• The Tweenies (BBC Children's programmes)
• What Happened to the Housemates? (Channel 4 documentary)
• Your Money or Your Life (BBC financial advice series)
• Chewin' the Fat (BBC)