I know what you did last Summer… OOH!
The Ubiquitous team love Summer. But then again, who doesn’t? Barbecues, live sport, packed pubs full of punters enjoying the sunshine.
You’d be forgiven if you thought audiences leave the capital as the mercury rises. We enjoyed reading Open Media’s CEO Mike Smith point out why OOH is perfect for squeezing a little bit more out of your campaign in the summer.
So, how can brands leverage their advertising budget with OOH? Here’s what Ubiquitous suggests, inspired by Mike’s thoughts
1. A wider reach for storytelling
Mike asks the question: How do we make sure that our story reaches as many eyes as possible? OOH offers a compelling solution. Route data tells us that OOH advertising reaches 98% of the UK population every week. It’s an effective way to reach your audience, but, looking deeper, it’s worth thinking about how different OOH formats can work together too.
Naturally, we’ll advocate for taxis in this scenario because you’re engaging with a wealthy, educated audience. If we look at GPS data, taxis offer impressive coverage and irresistible frequency – even a midweight campaign of 150 taxis will be seen by an ABC1 adult six times. It’s why the Ubiquitous team will recommend diversifying your OOH solutions. A combination of roadside formats like D6s and taxis, plus billboards and posters can deliver impactful results.
2. An engaged audience
Brands are working in an era where performance is regularly scrutinised and evaluated. Mike points out that OOH is a contextual form of advertising, which means that location and timing can be tweaked to target audiences. OOH is already more likely to resonate with audiences, with many feeling it is more noticeable.
It’s an enticing picture, especially as Visit Britain data suggests that London isn’t just a destination for overseas tourists – it’s a tourist bubble for UK residents too. With an extra 4.4m visits to London from UK residents (representing a juicy £16.9bn in spending), can taxi advertising capture this spend-happy audience? If Attest research is anything to go by, taxis are a convincing advertising format. An Attest survey conducted post-campaign for an industry-leading cosmetic brand found audiences that viewed a branded taxi were overwhelmingly likely to buy the same product the next time they shopped for beauty products, proving that taxis prompt concrete action in the real world.
3. Personalised for you
No two brands are the same. Mike makes it clear how important it is to learn the specific needs of brands, products, and audience. Similarly, Ubiquitous knows that the 8-week campaign that delivers results for one client might not match the needs of another. Taxi advertising is a format that can be tailored to a client’s objectives, deadlines, and budget. Brand activations? Branded pick-ups and drop offs in a capital city? Take your pick. With a bit of creative thinking, taxi advertising can work seamlessly with audiences to deliver an impressive result.
No matter how you choose to spend your summer – outdoors in the green, at your local, or inside an air-conditioned shopping precinct, chances are OOH and taxi advertising will be making an impact while you go about your day. To maximise your impact in the summer, it must be OOH.
Sources: Route Data 2025, GPS Data 2023, Visit Britain Q3 + Q4 2024 IPS GB Nations and Regions Inbound Update, Attest Research for a cosmetics brand campaign