A straight-talking guide from Focus Media Outdoor — over 20 years in the industry
Bus advertising is one of the most popular and cost-effective forms of outdoor advertising in the UK. Moreover, it’s one that surprises most people — because it’s far more affordable and more flexible than they expect. In this guide, we answer every question we get asked about advertising on buses — formats, costs, London rates, how to book and what makes a great bus advert. Furthermore, if you’d like pricing specifically, take a look at our dedicated bus advertising cost guide. Or, if you’d like to get started right away, visit our bus advertising page and get a free quote.
What Is Bus Advertising?
Bus advertising does exactly what it says on the tin. You advertise on the outside — or inside — of a bus. However, it’s not as simple as just picking a bus and sticking a poster on it. There are several different formats available, each with its own size, position and price point. Moreover, bus advertising covers everything from a small rear panel to a full wrap of the entire vehicle. As a result, there’s a format to suit almost any budget.
Furthermore, bus advertising is a moving format — your advert travels through residential streets, along high streets and through town centres every single day. Consequently, a single bus advert can reach a far wider geographic audience than a static poster site. However, unlike bus stop advertising, you can’t pick an exact location — instead, you select a depot and area, and the buses from that depot cover their routes throughout your target area.
Bus advertising is one of the most popular OOH formats we sell — and one of the best value. Moreover, unlike some formats, bus adverts often stay up longer than you’ve paid for, because suppliers won’t take them down until a replacement is ready.
Bus Advertising Formats — What Are Your Options?
Bus operators fill every available space on their vehicles with advertising. As a result, there are more formats available than most people realise. Here’s a complete breakdown:
| Format | Also Known As | Available On | Size | Cost (2 wks) |
| Bus Rear | Super Rear | All buses | Various | £80 – £100 |
| Single Decker Side | Streetliner | Single deckers | 10ft or 13ft | £80 – £100 |
| Double Decker Side | Superside | Double deckers | 22ft long | £100 – £150 |
| Near Side Double Decker | T-Side | Double deckers | 22ft x 15ft | Premium |
| Full Back of Bus | Mega Rear | All buses | Various | £6k–£7k/yr |
| Full Bus Wrap | Bus Wrap | All buses | Whole bus | £25k–£40k/yr |
*All prices are approximate guide figures for a two-week campaign. Actual costs vary by supplier, location and volume.
Bus Rear — Super Rear
The bus rear sits on the back of the bus and is seen by every car, cyclist and pedestrian behind it. Furthermore, it’s one of the most affordable formats available — and one of the most effective, because it’s in the direct eyeline of following traffic at every junction and traffic light. As a result, it delivers excellent impressions throughout the day.
Streetliner — Single Decker Side
A streetliner runs along the side of a single decker bus. Moreover, it’s one of the most widely available and most booked formats in bus advertising. Streetliners come in 10 foot and 13 foot sizes and are booked as single panels. Consequently, they give you a large canvas for your message — headline, key benefit, contact details and brand.
Superside — Double Decker Side
A superside is the advertising panel on the side of a double decker bus. At 22 feet long, it’s a significantly larger format than a streetliner. Furthermore, supersides are available across London and UK wide, subject to availability, and they’re produced in four sections for easy installation.
T-Side — Near Side Double Decker
The T-side is the near-side panel on a double decker bus — 22 feet long and approximately 15 feet high. Moreover, it’s one of the most premium formats in bus advertising and is generally sold in packs rather than individually. However, the price is fully justified. At that size, a T-side absolutely carries the wow factor.
Mega Rear — Full Back of Bus
The mega rear covers the entire back of the bus — a much larger and more impactful version of the standard bus rear. Furthermore, mega rears are typically booked on longer term contracts of 26 or 52 weeks. As a result, they represent extraordinary value when you calculate the daily rate — approximately £16 per day for a full year booking. That’s one of the best daily rates in outdoor advertising.
Full Bus Wrap
A full wrap covers the entire bus in vinyl promoting your business. Moreover, it’s the ultimate statement in bus adverts and the most premium format available. Wraps are typically booked for a minimum of 12 weeks up to a full year, and on a daily rate basis they represent exceptional value for the level of visibility they deliver. Furthermore, some depots allow advertising across the windows for extra impact.
Break any bus advertising booking down to a daily rate and the value becomes very clear. A mega rear at £6,000 to £7,000 for a full year works out at approximately £16 per day — remarkable value for a moving advert seen across your target area every single day.
How Much Does Bus Advertising Cost in the UK?
Advertising on buses is one of the most affordable OOH formats available. Moreover, for standard formats like bus rears and streetliners, you’re looking at approximately £80 to £100 per bus for a two-week campaign — all in. Furthermore, that price includes the printed poster as standard when you book through Focus Media Outdoor. For a full breakdown of every format including mega rears and full wraps, take a look at our dedicated bus advertising cost guide. Additionally, if you’d like to compare bus advertising costs against other outdoor formats, our outdoor advertising costs guide covers every major format in one place.
How Much Does London Bus Advertising Cost?
This is one of the most common questions we get — and the answer surprises most people. Standard bus advertising formats like bus rears and streetliners cost exactly the same in London as they do anywhere else in the UK. Moreover, the rate is genuinely flat across the entire country, which makes London bus advertising exceptional value given the volume of people the buses reach every day.
However, there are exceptions. Central London specific packages — Golden Routes and Routemaster packages — do carry a premium. Furthermore, that premium is justified, because the impact figures on these routes are dramatically higher. As a result, when you calculate the cost per thousand people reached, Golden Route and Routemaster advertising can actually be cheaper than standard formats elsewhere in the country.
London bus advertising at the same rate as the rest of the UK is genuinely one of the best value propositions in OOH advertising. Furthermore, the volume of people your advert reaches in London is significantly higher than most other UK cities — making the cost per thousand exceptionally competitive.
How Effective Is Bus Advertising?
Bus ads is consistently one of the most popular OOH formats we sell — and the results speak for themselves. Moreover, repeat bookings are extremely common, which tells you something about how well it works. Businesses come back to bus advertising year after year because it delivers.
However, there is one important thing to understand about bus advertising. Unlike bus stop advertising, you cannot pick specific routes — you can only select by depot and area. As a result, if you need to target a very specific location — outside a particular venue, near a specific school — a static format like a bus stop advert would be more appropriate. Consequently, bus advertising works best for broad area coverage rather than precision targeting.
Furthermore, bus advertising works brilliantly alongside other OOH formats. Many of our clients combine bus advertising with bus stop advertising for precise local targeting, or with billboard advertising for roadside coverage. As a result, the two formats complement each other perfectly — buses for mobile area coverage, bus stops for fixed location precision.
What Makes Bus Advertising Successful?
A lot of it comes down to the creative. Moreover, because bus advertising is a moving format, your advert needs to work fast. Pedestrians, drivers and passengers see your bus for a matter of seconds as it passes — so your message needs to land immediately.
- Keep it bold and simple — one headline, one image, one call to action
- Use high contrast colours — your advert needs to be visible from a distance
- Make your brand name immediately obvious — don’t bury it in small text
- Include a clear call to action — a URL, phone number or location
- Avoid too much text — if it takes more than two seconds to read, it won’t be read
- Use large, simple fonts — nothing decorative or script
Furthermore, for wraps and larger formats, the rules are slightly more relaxed — people have a bit more time to take in the design. However, clarity and impact should always be the priority. If you need help with artwork, our design and print team produce bus advertising creative every week and know every supplier’s specifications inside out.
How to Find and Book Bus Advertising in the UK
Most bus advertising in the UK is available on Arriva, Metroline and First Bus vehicles, with the media contracts managed by Global Media. However, going directly to suppliers means paying rate card prices. As a result, working through an agency like Focus Media Outdoor typically gets you better rates and better advice.
Furthermore, we have established relationships with all the major suppliers and can search for availability across all depots in your target area. Moreover, we handle everything from site selection and negotiation through to print production and campaign tracking — so you don’t have to manage multiple supplier relationships. For more on how to approach planning your campaign, take a look at our guide to how to plan an outdoor advertising campaign.
Bus Advertising vs Bus Stop Advertising — What’s the Difference?
This is one of the most common questions we get. The key difference is simple — bus advertising moves, bus stop advertising is fixed. Furthermore, bus advertising covers a broad geographic area because the buses travel their routes throughout the day. However, with bus advertising you can only select by depot and area rather than specific locations. In contrast, bus stop advertising lets you pick an exact site — right outside a competitor, near a specific school, on a particular high street. As a result, the two formats serve different objectives — buses for broad area coverage, bus stops for precise location targeting. Moreover, they work brilliantly together as part of a combined campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bus Advertising
What is bus advertising?
Bus advertising is outdoor advertising displayed on the exterior or interior of buses. Formats include bus rears, streetliners (single decker sides), supersides (double decker sides), T-sides, mega rears and full bus wraps. It’s a moving format that reaches a broad geographic audience as buses travel their routes throughout the day.
How much does bus advertising cost in the UK?
Standard bus advertising formats like bus rears and streetliners cost approximately £80 to £100 per bus for a two-week campaign, all in including the printed poster. Supersides cost slightly more at £100 to £150. Mega rears are typically booked annually at £6,000 to £7,000 per year — around £16 per day. Full wraps cost between £25,000 and £40,000 per year depending on specification.
How much does London bus advertising cost?
Standard London bus advertising costs the same as the rest of the UK — approximately £80 to £100 per bus for two weeks for bus rears and streetliners. The rate is flat nationally. Premium Central London packages like Golden Routes and Routemaster packages carry a higher rate, but deliver significantly higher impact figures.
What is a bus superside?
A bus superside is the advertising panel on the side of a double decker bus, 22 feet long and produced in four sections. It’s available across London and UK wide, subject to availability, and is one of the most impactful standard bus advertising formats.
What is a T-side bus advert?
A T-side is the near-side advertising panel on a double decker bus — 22 feet long and approximately 15 feet high. It’s one of the most premium bus advertising formats, typically sold in packs rather than individually. At that size, it delivers exceptional visual impact.
What is a bus streetliner?
A streetliner is the advertising panel on the side of a single decker bus — available in 10 foot and 13 foot sizes, UK wide. It’s one of the most widely available and most popular bus advertising formats, booked as a single panel per bus.
How effective is bus advertising?
Very effective for broad area coverage. Bus advertising reaches a large geographic audience as buses travel their routes throughout the day. However, unlike bus stop advertising, you can’t pick specific locations — you select by depot and area. It works best for businesses wanting broad local or regional awareness rather than precision targeting.
Which bus companies offer advertising in the UK?
Most bus advertising is available on Arriva, Metroline and First Bus vehicles, with media contracts managed by Global Media. Focus Media Outdoor works with all the major operators and can find availability across all depots in your target area at rates better than going direct.
How do I book bus advertising in the UK?
The easiest way is to work with Focus Media Outdoor. We have relationships with all the major bus operators and media contractors and can find the right depots, formats and rates for your campaign. We handle everything from booking to print production. Get in touch for a free no-obligation quote.
What is the difference between bus adverts and bus stop adverts?
Bus adverts is a moving format — your advert travels with the bus across a broad geographic area. Bus stop adverts is fixed to a specific location. With bus adverts you select by depot and area; with bus stop adverts you pick an exact site. Both formats work well together — buses for broad coverage, bus stops for precise local targeting.
Ready to Book Bus Advertising?
Get in touch with the Focus Media Outdoor team. Tell us your target area and budget and we’ll come back to you with the right formats, depots and all-in pricing — usually within 24 hours. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote.
