From The Scottish Sun: BRITAIN’S first budget coach sleeper service starts this Friday. The nightly Megabus service will run both ways between London and Glasgow, offering 24 bunk-style berths. Megabus’s parent company Stagecoach said demand was growing for overnight bus journeys. The Sun’s NICK SHARPE stepped aboard for a special preview run of the service. Read more.

Luxury bus service Citylink Gold, which was branded by asdesignuk for its launch in June 2010, celebrates the first anniversary of its maiden voyage on Tuesday. The service offers luxury comfort and onboard refreshments and Wi-Fi on its links between Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. See the branding and launch materials here.

Our latest campaign for Stagecoach North East will see one lucky passenger win a trip for two to Las Vegas. The campaign also brings two ‘firsts’ to the North East division of Stagecoach UK Bus, as we enter the world of both TV advertising and SMS short code response marketing. TV ads will run in the Tyne Tees region of ITV1 this summer and viewers will be invited to TEXT BUS TO 78866 to win the glitzy trip and to receive a local travel guide to boot! Check out yearofthebus.com and the Year Of The Bus gallery.

As we get ready to hybernate for a week or so, we have just issued our first ever Christmas card, which depicts 2010… all wrapped up. Imagine, if you will, samples of printed work from the past 12 months (or so, we went back maybe as far as November 2009) wrapped lovingly around a gift box and tied up with ribbons and a big bow. Our way of saying “Thank you and Merry Christmas” to all of our clients, suppliers, colleagues and friends who have worked with and supported us in 2010… see you in 2011.

Freelance Illustrator Simon Howard, who forms part of the extended asdeisgnuk team, now has his own online portfolio at sghillustration.designbinder.com. Simon has worked on a number of my projects including the recent citylink gold brand launch, rejuvenation of megabus.com‘s ‘mascot’ Sid and the re-branding of UNIQUE Driving Tuition.