O2, Disney and Google among first advertisers on TfL's digital 'ribbon' screens
Exterion Media and Transport for London (TfL) have revealed Google, Netflix, O2, Disney and easyJet as the launch partners for their new digital ribbon screens.
New full-motion digital ribbons launch in London Underground
The brands will be among the first to feature on the 42-inch screens which span the length of tube escalator locations in King’s Cross St Pancras, Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road.
The launch sees the screens carry campaigns for Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, Netflix’s Bandersnatch, Google’s Pixel 3 mobile phone, as well as New Year’s ads for easyJet and O2, promoting their seasonal sales offers.
The high-impact, HD screens are the first of their format in the UK. Research by Exterion Media and Bournemouth University last year showed them to be four-times more engaging than traditional OOH ads.
The design allows ads to seamlessly flow across the full length of the screens, offering a "stand-out" creative canvas to engage London commuters. The digital screens have the potential to reach 15 million commuters each month, according to Exterion.
When Exterion won the $1bn TfL brief back in 2016, it told The Drum it wanted to push the transport network as a media-owner to rival the likes of ITV and Facebook.
The larger screens, which now sit where the hordes of smaller displays once were, coupled with new formats and these next-generation digital escalator panels have helped Exterion in its mission to overhaul the outdoor category in this way.
Chris Reader, head of commercial media, TfL, said: “Our new digital ribbon screens at three of our most iconic Tube stations are a fantastic addition to our advertising estate, making it more attractive to brands by allowing them to engage with the London audience and create more memorable moments for our customers.
"We are continuing to invest in our advertising estate, which is already one of the most valuable in the world, and enables us to raise vital revenue to reinvest back into the transport network.”
At the end of last year, Exterion was snapped up by UK radio giant Global.
The purchase came just weeks after the broadcaster bought Primesight and Outdoor Plus in a double deal, and will help Global bulk up its newly-formed OOH division, Global Outdoor.