Transport advertising is likely the powerhouse of out-of-home advertising with high frequency and some high-dwell time. Bus advertising in particular can reach nationwide audiences that not only include bus passengers but also pedestrians, tourists and motorists.

Advertising on buses is an excellent way to quickly spread awareness as they can be found just about anywhere, from huge cities to small towns. No matter how big or small your company is, bus advertising is an excellent opportunity that builds awareness and provides frequent exposure to your brand.

In this article, we take a look at 6 creative examples of bus advertising, from bold creative that makes you stop and stare, to clever design that generates buzz online.

The Impact of Bus Advertising

2.8 billion passenger journeys were made in the financial year ending 2022 by local buses in England (1) indicating the significant and widespread use of buses and the potential reach and exposure that bus advertising can achieve.

Additionally, 80% of consumers have responded to an advert on or on a bus suggesting high engagement and the ability to drive action. (2) The effectiveness of bus advertising depends on strategic planning as well as the creative design of bus ads which can be employed to capture the attention of passersby.

Examples of Bus Advertising

Raventos Codorniu

As part of a UK-wide out-of-home campaign for Raventos Codorniu, One Day Agency was tasked with creating the brand’s first high-impact bus wrap to drive PR pieces, capture intent from stakeholders as well as build overall brand awareness across central London.

We broke out the bubbles by leveraging the brand’s photography and the campaign theme “Sparkling Life” for the holiday season by designing a bus wrap that captures the joyful bright sparkles of the wine and placing the brand front and centre. The bus features several large bottles of sparkling wine with the brand and product name clearly visible, alongside imagery of greenery and sparkles; symbolic of Christmas and perfect for the holidays.

This bus wrap campaign was the first for the brand and needed to make a statement. With the campaign starting in London, the bus was photographed near iconic London architecture which served to kickstart the nationwide media campaign. The photographs were then used on our reports, and PR agency and shared internally with their teams with great enthusiasm.

Copenhagen City Zoo

In 2009, Copenhagen City Zoo in Denmark utilised clever design to create the optical illusion that a giant constrictor snake is squeezing a bus in a campaign called ‘Snake Bus’. The result is spectacular and slightly frightening, but it certainly creates a memorable impression.

The design was conceptualised by Art Director Peter Schak from the creative agency called Bates Y&R and according to Schak, he wanted to “make the most possible impact for a very small budget”. Bus advertising is a cost-effective way to market brands, as it provides frequent exposure and your audience simply can’t miss it.

The bus wrap uses ambient advertising by placing the snake design on the bus in an unconventional attempt to capture attention and promote the Zoo. By creating a hyper-realistic design and using high-quality images, the advertisers were able to deliver a shock factor that boosts audience engagement. The campaign was an overall success and attracted more people to go to Copenhagen City Zoo. (3)

This campaign shows that impactful bus wrap campaigns can be conceptualised and activated even with limited budgets. With the right creativity, a full wrap can become iconic and make a very strong brand statement.

Dr. Best

By taking advantage of the joint between two bus carriages, leading German toothbrush brand, Dr Best, was able to showcase just how flexible their new ‘Flex’ toothbrush is.

The design of the bus features a giant toothbrush with the message, ‘The new Dr Best flexible’ on the front clearly communicating what the product is. In the middle of the toothbrush, it features a flexible part and this is the joint between the two bus carriages.

To really drive home how flexible the toothbrush is, when the bus goes around a corner, the toothbrush will flex to mimic the movement, creating an engaging and dynamic experience for observers.

This campaign serves as an example that innovative and well-executed ambient design can turn everyday objects into interesting marketing opportunities.

Netflix: Stranger Things

To promote the second season of Stranger Things, Netflix produced an intriguing bus wrap that effectively conveys messaging without needing to read the advert.

Someone who hasn’t seen Stranger Things wouldn’t necessarily understand. However, fans would instantly recognise that the advert is referencing the alternate universe from the series called ‘The Upside Down’.

The ad does well to engage established fans as well as attract new eyes as it looks as though the bus is literally upside down. Ultimately, it accomplishes the goal of peaking interest as well as ticking the box for uniqueness when it comes to out-of-home advertising.

Specsavers

For a professional campaign called ‘Bus Back Crash’, Specsavers created an out-of-home campaign that promotes Specsavers Frankton. The bus is parked at Frankton Airport, near Queenstown.

The bus looks as though it has reversed into a bus parking sign and has the messaging, ‘Should've gone to Specsavers Frankton’. The ad is instantly recognisable as belonging to Specsavers as it uses the bright green brand colour as well as the iconic Specsavers catchphrase, ‘Should have gone to Specsavers’.

However, those who are not familiar with the brand may have to do some digging online to understand - but nevertheless drives engagement and online traffic.

This is a great example of locally targeted bus advertising as it’s very specific to the area of Frankton, highlighting the ability for bus advertising to have precise targeting options.

Movie Bus Wraps

In addition to advertising brands, products and services, bus wraps are used to promote films. Ahead of the Barbie movie’s European premiere, the iconic London buses were “Pinkified”.

Spotted riding around the city, the buses effectively promoted the film's release and the bright pink buses were certainly not hard to miss. This particular bus advert drove engagement online with one Reel captioned, “You can now commute to work on a double-decker Barbie bus in London.” gaining over 100,000 likes.

Bus wraps, when done strategically, have the ability to reach audiences online and drive more reach. The Barbie bus was executed in conjunction with other advertising in a full-scale cross-format campaign, helping to promote the film and generate buzz online in anticipation of the film’s launch.

Bus advertising has the versatility to be creative and cost-effective. Clever design concepts can be executed to leave a lasting impression on your target audience and no matter the budget, you can generate impactful bus advertising campaigns that drive brand awareness and increase reach both in the real world and online.

If you’re looking for a way to get your brand noticed then bus advertising is a great option. Navigating bus advertising planning and buying can be complex and we can help you make the right unbiased choices either as part of a wider campaign or just purely a bus advertising campaign. Contact us today to get started.

FAQs

What type of advertising is on buses?

Advertising on buses is a form of out-of-home (OOH) transport advertising.

How do I advertise my business on a bus?

To advertise on a bus, you need to understand the locations in which you want to advertise, the type of bus ad format, budgets as well as campaign duration. There are many options including bus streetliner ads, bus superside ads, bus t-side ads and bus stop ads. You can then contact bus advertising companies who will be able to provide a quote. Alternatively, you can also get in touch with specialist agencies, like One Day Agency, who can navigate the process for you.

How successful is bus advertising?

Bus advertising is an effective way of reaching broad audiences frequently. Their size and mobility mean that your message can travel through various neighbourhoods, cities and towns capturing the attention of diverse demographics.

References

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