Feature: Washroom Advertising

Washroom media developed in the true spirit of advertising’s burgeoning ambient sector, when the dead space on the backs of cubicle doors and above urinals was rediscovered as an opportunity to reach consumers.

Hi Tech Solutions, which now offer around 10,000 sites in pubs, clubs and universities across the UK, including Northern Ireland, was established in 1994. CPA, which also centres around the pub and club market, but also includes hotels and universities, followed in 1995 and has since grown its portfolio to number 18,000 sites.

The total number of UK washroom sites is now nearing 55,000. Its advantages include the fact that it can target audiences in their leisure environment, allowing for socio-economic, as well as gender based, planning. Admedia, for example, now offers 1200 sites in 11 health club chains, giving advertisers an audience of ABC1, health conscious 20-45 year olds. Meanwhile, Media Initiatives Group (MIG), Hi Tech and CPA offer opportunities in Universities and colleges, accessing the hard-to-reach 18-24 year old market.

Admedia’s acquisition of the health club contracts came as part of a recent consolidatory move in the sector, when Admedia took over Captive UK. Previously Admedia’s offering centred on opportunities in motorway service areas and shopping centres. Now the addition of Captive’s health clubs, style bars, pubs and gastro-pubs takes it into more direct competition with the other main players, which offer a large number of pub and club sites.

The takeover has also seen Admedia catch up with CPA site numbers. However, both have plans for further expansion, so the market looks set to remain both competitive and fast-growing. CPA is planning to launch 5,000 sites in supermarkets early next year, while new innovations include “talking” panels, offered by CPA and Hi Tech Solutions, which play advertiser messages when movement is detected. These were combined with smoke and light machines for a recent Super Noodles promotion by Hi Tech, which also owns the licence for heat-sensitive urinal stickers

Ambient media opportunities can be viewed by selecting MediaTrader from the drop down box at the top of this page