An immersive full-tunnel wrap is the highlight of a range of formats to be launched by Global on the Transport for London (TfL) network.
At the Greatest Show Under Earth event at London’s Outernet on Wednesday, Global shared a number of new formats as part of its new contract with TfL. The launches were announced by Anto Chioccarelli, director of creative outdoor, and Cedric Rouse, director of outdoor product.
Global retained the London Underground sales contract for a further eight years in September 2024.
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The most eye-catching new format is a digital wrap that curves around the architecture of the Elizabeth line, comprising four 10-metre LED screens, so that “brands can play rather than say”, Chioccarelli said. Global claims this is a world first.
On a panel afterwards led by Capital Breakfast host Siân Welby, Annie Probert head of international marketing and go-to-market at Marc Jacobs pointed to her brand’s “first to market” approach and said of the tunnel wrap: “Immersive formats really make clear to audience what a luxury brand feels like.”
Among other announcements are five new sets of digital escalator panels and nine new cinematic, full-motion Digital Gateway screens.
Global also plans to install 1,000 new D6 sheets and another 150 D12s, meaning there will be digital screens in all TfL zones (of which there are nine) for the first time.
Meanwhile, Waterloo station’s 160-metre travelator will be transformed via four pairs of connected digital screens to create a 4D canvas (offering digital, audio, movement and 3D). Piccadilly Circus station will also offer more experiential opportunities.
The company also unveiled a “bookend” solution that will allow advertisers to start their campaign at one station and end with different creative at a destination station.
New audience tool
Elsewhere at the event, director of data, insight and outcomes Sarah Gale and head of outdoor business development Jane Lee touted the TfL OOH network’s ability to meet two key challenges for advertisers: outcomes and addressability.
To that end, the pair gave a demonstration of Global’s new Access All Audiences planning and measurement tool, which combines first-party data with other planning datasets such as Kantar TGI, IPA TouchPoints and YouGov.
This allows advertisers to “build any audience that we can find in those datasets”, right down to the hour where that audience might be found, Gale explained.
This can then be combined with research on “moments” and mindsets, alongside real-time signals such as weather and sports scores.
Emma Strain, customer director at TfL, highlighted the part TfL and Global plays in “shaping the cultural heartbeat of the capital”.
“Today, we revealed a bright vision for outdoor advertising on the London Underground, a long-term investment strategy and a commitment to tech and data innovation that will deliver more efficient and effective outcomes for our advertising partners,” said Mike Gordon, Global’s chief commercial officer.
“The Waterloo travelator and the digital tunnel wraps have the potential to be a huge attraction and people will visit just to experience them.”
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