Respecting Religion as Advertisers and Brands
Religious events in the UK are an opportunity to share our differences while celebrating the diversity of our communities. Naturally, brands will want to share these moments with their audiences. Can we maintain a sense of respect while connecting meaningfully with religious audiences?
The Ubiquitous team has some thoughtful solutions for maintaining respect without sacrificing impact.
Non-interruptive messaging.
Respecting your audience’s time and autonomy should be a focus: it signifies the move from ‘pushing’ a message to honouring your audience’s attention. The immersive nature of Taxis means it is naturally a non-interruptive format. OOH formats like Taxis are regularly viewed as less intrusive compared to other formats too. Pair the unparalleled reach and frequency of Taxis with the inherent trust that audiences have in the format, and your message is sure to reach audiences on their terms.
Create empathy and understanding in audiences.
Building a connection in a saturated market requires human-centric messaging. OOH formats build meaningful relationships because they understand how to drive emotional engagement.
Taxis are just one OOH format that uses its unique silhouette in central locations to drive home convincing messages. Known as the Von Restorff effect, it’s the distinctive shape of a London Taxi that breaks up our routines and becomes a memory in our brains. As a format that means so much to so many people, the London Taxi is an easy choice for building those emotional moments with audiences.
Add genuine value
Cultural events are a sensitive time for many communities. However you decide to engage, it’s important that your main goal is to add real value. Audiences have chosen to give you their time: will you make it worth it?
Taxis are a trustworthy format that allows thoughtful messages to cut through effectively. The Ubiquitous team has regularly witnessed how Taxis can shape public perception, corroborated by our research platform Attest. A recent Attest survey completed post-campaign found that among those that recalled the branded Taxis from the campaign, significant positive sentiment was shown towards the brand. Audiences were more likely to use words like ‘trust’ and ‘valuable’ when describing the activity, proving that relevant audiences connect with Taxis and the brands that use them (3).
The diverse cultural makeup of the UK means that there’s many religious holidays that audiences will celebrate. However, the test is how well they respect the boundaries of these audiences and engage on their terms. The Ubiquitous team can recommend that as long as you prioritise:
Non-interruptive messaging,
Creating empathy and understanding in audiences,
Adding genuine value.
Your message is sure to land and open an authentic dialogue that will benefit audiences, and yourself.
Sources: IPA Touchpoints Report, 2023, Route Data 2025, based on a 150-taxi campaign in London for 8 weeks, Internal research for Ubiquitous, Attest research for Sephora, 2025