Bus Ads

The idea of advertising on public transportation has been around for a long time. In the mid-19th century, local department stores began placing advertisements on streetcars that horses drove across bustling cities. As transportation technology advanced, advertising possibilities boomed. 

Today, full networks of large commuter buses make their way back and forth through our most populated cities, displaying advertisements of all shapes and sizes to a wide range demographics every day. Advertisements are offered in a range of sizes for different marketing budgets.

Standard Bus Panels

Many bus advertisement sizes have become standardized over the years. Commonly referred to “Kings” and “Queens”, these rectangular advertisements fit neatly on either the street side or curb side of buses. There are also a range of standardized ads that fit on the back, or tail, of buses. 

Larger Than Life

A “Larger Than Life” bus ad starts with a standard King or Queen panel, then allows the advertiser to think outside the box by adding more design elements. Use a small visual extension to grab attention at a small price, or let your creative marketing ideas flourish across large areas of the bus. This customized product is extremely versatile and demands attention. 

King Kongs

StreetMedia offers a custom ad option that goes well beyond the traditional standard King and Queen. King Kongs cover the full distance between the front and rear wheels of a bus, and the full vertical height. These ads can cover windows as well as bus paneling, providing advertisers a large canvas to make their point. King Kongs are also extremely cost-effective, perfect for businesses that want to make a big impression on a budget. 

Full Wraps

A full bus wrap covers all of the available advertising space on a bus, transforming the entire vehicle into a rolling billboard. Advertisements can span across windows, paneling and doors. Full wraps demand maximum attention as they make their way through busy metro areas.

Interior Cards

Interior cards promote your message to a captive audience inside the bus, often consisting of motivated tourists. With strong ridership throughout our robust bus fleets, your message will be consistently seen by highly sought-after demographics.

Bus ad pricing is determined by a range of factors, such as size and market. Standard-sized ads have different pricing structures than larger custom options. Rough average monthly price ranges are listed below.

Standard Panels:
Kings range from $350-600 per period, as low as $12.50 per day.
Queens and Tails range from $300-400 per period, as low as $10.75 per day.

Custom Ads:
King Kongs and Larger Than Life range from $600-1200 per period, as low as $21.50 per day.
Full bus wraps range from $2,500-3,000 period, as low as $89.25 per day.

Outdoor advertising generally works best in its simplest form. The most effective ads focus on a single point, and are designed to make the message as clear and bold as possible. This allows a moving audience to absorb the message without effort. The seed has now been planted in the minds of consumers for future action, and top-of-mind awareness of your brand has been established. As a general rule, no more than ten words should be used in an out-of-home ad. Limiting to eight words is even more effective. Using a high degree of color contrast, simple imaging, and bold fonts will also give your ad the best chance at success.