Influencers, Taxis, and Lord Byron
Influencers are not a new phenomenon. One of the first ‘influencers’ was Lord Byron, the Romantic Poet who became famous in 1812 after publishing Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. The intense public fascination surrounding Byron is an early example of what we would now associate with a ‘modern’ influencer.
Reading about Lord Byron and his infamous exploits, it’s clear that the exhilaration surrounding influencers hasn’t changed: neither has the temptation to leverage their fame and followers in a social media-obsessed world.
The Ubiquitous team can offer a Taxi-shaped OOH format that utilises the power of influencers.
Why do people trust influencers?
Social media influencers foster what researchers call ‘parasocial relationships’: One-sided bonds where followers feel as if they personally know the influencer. Brands can benefit from the trust placed in influencers by using advertising formats that put influencers at the centre of their strategy.
Taxi Advertising is a beneficial OOH format because its audience is twice as likely as the national average to trust products recommended by celebrities and influencers. This puts the brands who choose Taxis at an advantage. Taxis have transported a range of different celebrities and influencers for campaigns including Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a Disney+ series that had tongues wagging – especially thanks to the online antics of influencer-turned-media-personality Whitney Leavitt. Her 1.5 million followers followed her every move, especially as a branded Taxi drove her around London. It was the perfect opportunity for Disney+ to remind audiences to switch on, tune in, and engage with their favourite celebrity before the TV show had even premiered.
Spend on digital increases.
Marketing budgets have slowly transitioned to include social and digital channels. According to Nielsen research, 29% of marketers are planning to increase budget on social media, while 22% are planning to increase budget on online and mobile video (2). It’s a signal that marketers and budgets are taking influencer strategy seriously.
Traditional formats like roadside OOH and taxis elevate a brand’s social media presence. IPA Databank research, together with Peter Field and Les Binet support the reach frequency, and exposure of the above formats. They found that OOH formats like Taxis boost the effects of other media channels. These branded touchpoints build resonance for two reasons: they exist in the real world, offering a sense of tangibility that audiences trust. And secondly, because they match creative, building a series of cues in the minds of audiences. All it’s waiting for is a branded trigger at the point of sale.
Social proof.
Social proof leverages the idea that people trust and copy the behaviour of others. They often see a product as more attractive when they see influential people, like celebrities, give it the tick of approval. Celebrity endorsements have become nuanced, strategic, and naturally, online. Authenticity and narrative driven storytelling remain important as discerning audiences disengage with brands they deem too pushy and slick.
Taxi Advertising creates the occasions for social proof. Convoys, sampling, and gifting can subtly build a relationship with influential online figures. Fenty is a brand that recognises the power of influencer relationships, having worked with Ubiquitous for VIP pickups and gifting at their launch in the John Lewis Beauty Hall in Liverpool. They provided influential social media personalities with gifts, samples of Fenty products, and access to a mobile make-up studio in the back of a cab. Numerous reshares, reposts, and TikTok’s later, and it’s clear that Fenty successfully built on the excitement surrounding the launch. Use an OOH format that provides a branded touchpoint with each gift and sample, and you’re sure to discover the same too.
Influencers have the ability to delight, entertain, enrage, and annoy. Whatever your opinion of them, it’s clear that they are drivers of social currency in a social media-obsessed world. If you’re hoping to capture the attention of their loyal followers, it makes sense to trust an OOH format like Taxis. As a format that elevates online formats, provides opportunities for authentic social proof, and is innately trusted by audiences, you can’t miss a moment when Taxi Advertising is in the mix.
SOURCES: YouGov Profiles GB, Index 206, 2025 annual marketing report, Nielsen, IPA Databank, Peter Field, and Rapport Analysis, Clear Channel, JC Decaux UK, Posterscope, and Global Research 2024