Taxis, TikTok, and the Big Moments!
Endlessly scrollable content dominates our phone screens. The Ubiquitous team would argue that it also dominates our laptops, our digital screens, and our TVs too!
A recent piece of research from Initiative, together with MAGNA global and TikTok for Business, breaks down why brands must embrace this new form of content if they plan to build Tentpole brand growth – brand building that leverages major cultural or social events to amplify messaging.
The team at Ubiquitous think that traditional formats like taxi advertising have plenty to offer too. We’d argue the unique characteristics of traditional formats naturally let social media moments shine.
Traditional formats make it easy for Creators to remix
Initiative research found that social media was the number one way that people followed the 2024 Olympic games. While consumers were watching athletes chase glory, they also watched creators remix, repackage, and react to the content that sparked conversations online.
Traditional formats complement these social media moments because they’re a blank canvas. They provide a platform for humour to shine and relatable moments to take centre stage, two important factors that a recent study from industry leaders BillUps suggests foster an authentic connection. Our recent campaign with Disney+ for their binge-worthy TV series Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shows how taxis create standout moments because they expertly blend into the background of video content. The stars of the show used our taxis as a backdrop to create authentic content that incorporated relatable themes and playful elements – all with branding visible.
Fame = Followed
Audiences are making it clear that they don’t want products. They want people. The Initiative research makes this loud and clear. It’s indicative of a cultural shift in the eyes of Gen Z, who want real moments with real people.
Taxi advertising is just as good at championing brands as they are putting influencers and social media personalities on the front page. Take our recent campaign with Aveeno, who partnered with renowned podcaster, entrepreneur, and radio host, Sophie Habboo. With an impressive 981k followers and a dedicated online following that follows her every move, placing Sophie on the side of an Aveeno-branded taxi is a stamp of approval for the brand. Traditional formats like taxis create legitimacy by packaging up fame and influence into the shape of a taxi!
Multi-format moments amplify
The Ubiquitous team believes that taxi advertising is the golden thread that ties campaigns together thanks to its impressive reach, exposure, and frequency. Initiative makes a similar point: TikTok isn’t replacing TV (or for that matter, traditional formats), it’s amplifying it. IPA databank research, together with Peter Field and Rapport, supports the research, finding that OOH boosts the effects of other media channels.
Taxis are a branded touchpoint that build resonance. Matching creative with online formats, on digital billboards, and on taxis, aids recall and builds memory because they build a series of cues in the minds of audiences. All they’re waiting for is the branded trigger at the point of sale.
Build relevance through immersion
Initiative makes the point the brands can build cultural resonance through immersion, not interruption. Taxi advertising is a format that makes thousands of trips past important landmarks and destinations. Route data tells us that even a midweight campaign in London will be seen by an ABC1 adult up to six times each. Attest research confirms that the exposure creates real-world value too: a recent campaign for a market-leading skincare brand found that audiences who viewed a branded taxi were more likely to purchase the product in-store.
We think that the most relevant conclusion from the Initiative research is that traditional formats are not in competition with digital and social media. Far from it. If we embrace the best parts of traditional formats like taxi advertising and use them to compliment the unique characteristics of social advertising, we’re left with an enticing opportunity to reach audiences at the moments that matter.
SOURCES: BillUps Research, Digital Natives in the Physical World, IPA Databank, Clear Channel Research, Route Research 2025, and Attest Research 2025