In underground stations, you have the audience’s undivided attention. Helena Bush at Adm Indicia explains how to make the most of it, with examples from the Tube.
Tofoo and The Coconut Collaborative ads
Underground or subway stations are a hotspot for marketers. But what makes a truly successful and memorable Tube ad?
From the insight of a consumer behavior and marketing trends writer – who’s also a London resident, a regular frequenter of the city’s public transport, and an all-round advertising nerd – here’s a brief analysis of why underground ads are so powerful, along with four key secrets to memorable advertising on the Tube.
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The real power of this OOH opportunity lies in the Tube’s location. Firstly, the advertiser has the audience’s undivided attention: they’re stuck staring at walls, without the option to swipe or skip, and without an internet connection to distract them. The only option is to look at adverts.
Secondly, there is often no option for a CTA. The Underground breaks marketing playbooks because it’s one of the few places in a digital world – ignoring those 4G hotspots, which some see as a blessing and others a curse – where consumers can’t immediately act or learn more. For both these reasons, your brand goal needs to be memorability.
By the time people are back above ground, chances are they’ll be thinking of something else. So, the key KPI isn’t to evoke a direct response, but instead to engender positive brand affinity, association, and to strengthen identity. This means when the product comes up in a CTA-friendly setting, the customer is already a few steps ahead on the path to conversion.
So, what’s the secret to successful Underground ads?
Attention might be guaranteed, but the opportunity window can be as short as a couple of seconds before a train arrives. Copy must instantly catch viewers’ attention, using as few words as possible. From rhythmic phrases that mirror a memorable jingle, to alliteration that speeds up readability, or associative hooks that spark thoughts of a broader story, copy must instantly engage.
‘Work, Wok, Wine’ from Tofoo is a brilliant example – a poetic punchline that triggers a relevant instant association: that of unwinding after a hard day with a chilled beverage and an easy, delicious dinner ahead of you. The copy tells a whole story in a split second.
If more than a few words are needed, a strong hook with bold design can work just as well. The Coconut Collaborative offers intrigue with ‘It’s not a cult’: this provocative language piques viewers’ attention so encouraging them to read more.
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With the window of opportunity being unpredictable, evoking emotion is another way to create connection. As noted above, copy needn’t always tell a story, but it should forge an association – and emotion is integral to that.
Sometimes copy isn’t even needed, as an image can say more than words. Pampers showcases a winner with a simple close-up of a sleeping baby paired with their logo. This generates positive feeling that resonates in different ways with different target demographics: offering calm to new moms and dads, nostalgia for empty nesters, and joy for grandparents. Ocado’s advert works similarly – it uses background images, behind a shopping list, that trigger thoughts of leisurely moments, to hammer home emotion.
Humor is another great tool, with jokes and puns a popular choice for brands – TaskRabbit’s campaign adds a cheeky twist to famous song lyrics with a spin on Taylor Swift’s ‘We are never ever getting back together’.
And remember, the emotion your ad invokes doesn’t always have to be positive. In fact, a negative response that the brand then resolves can be even more powerful as it presents the brand as a problem-solver. eBay’s ‘Impulse Buy … Free to Sell’ stirs feelings of regret while providing an immediate solution.
The unique location can also be used as an advantage. Making an advert transport-specific not only captures attention but also helps it feel personalized – tailored to the surroundings, and by association, to the viewer’s own journey.
Persil’s ‘Clean clothes faster than it takes you to reach Stratford’ is directly native to its location, and the tongue-in-cheek remark also alludes to the unreliability of the Underground, strengthening audience connection through shared woes.
Indirect examples are also effective when location-specific content isn’t possible – Emmi Caffè Latte’s ‘Arrive ready to rumble’ aligns with any journey and inserts the brand into the moment.
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Finally, don’t be scared to break the advertising rules. The Underground is unconventional, disconnected, hidden away – a place to jump out of the box.
Colloquialisms, such as Rightmove’s “Doer-upper” and Lebara’s “blahdy blah” work well. As does using AI and technology to make consumers question what is real – personally, I’m still hoping to see Maybelline’s AI eyelashes on a train one morning.
On the Tube, marketers should unleash their creativity. And since memorability is the only goal, embrace the freedom that this subterranean environment offers.
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