For most people, buses are a means of transportation to get around in your daily life, but the masterminds of the advertising world see a bus as a perfect moving canvas for the most creative and effective ambient ads. In a competition-fueled digital world, clever agencies still turn to traditional outdoor advertising with an original twist that catches people‘s eye and is thought-provoking. And they are definitely doing it right!
I collected a list of the most ingenious bus wraps spotted around the world. And some of them are so engaging, you might actually miss your bus.
Be sure to read on for Bored Panda's in-depth interview about the benefits of going for out-of-home, transit, and bus advertisements with the Senior Director of Marketing of Vector Media, Luke Leonard.
This post may include affiliate links.
Copenhagen Zoo: Snake Bus
National Geographic
Netflix: Stranger Things
King Kong Movie
Ready To Quit?
SF: Americans Abroad, Vote!
The Accordeon World Championship
I would go just for the ad. But the musicians are actually pretty awesome!
Aladdin
Colorectal Cancer Association Of Canada
Love this. Something to start your day if you have to catch this bus to work.
Arts University Bournemouth: Boombox Bus
Specsavers: Bus Crash
International Organization For Migration
Duracell
Compassion In World Farming: Stop Live Exports
Perth Zoo: Come To The Zoo Before The Zoo Comes To You
"So why did you decide to visit the zoo today?" "Well, a bus threatened me with a tiger mauling, so...."
Keep Holland Clean Foundation: Garbage Bus
Nice Legs
I would be to embarrassed to sit on this bus. doesn't look like the passenger knows what people are looking at.
Optical Illusion
Careerbuilder: Don’t Jump
Good idea, great execution, they could've put the website on the side and make the message more genuine
Dallas Morning News: More Reporters. More Reporting
Dr. Best Flexible Toothbrush
Bad Weather, Perfect Timing
Copenhagen Zoo: The Giant Pandas Have Landed
Air New Zealand
Visa, Wellington On A Plate Culinary Festival
Tiernitos Dog Food
Toydirect.com: Batteries
Bernmobil: Airport Bus
X-Games: Real Street Skate Festival
Smint: "Bus Opened-Doors"
All Laundry Detergent Bus
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Nzdating.com
Mercedes: Glow In The Dark Bus
Potawatomi Zoo
Toy Bus: Children’s Charity
Eyes
Seriously Transparent Capital Metro Buses
Compassion In World Farming: Stop Live Exports
Canon's Bus Ad
Burger King
Tabasco Bus
Just One Bite
Seattle Mariners Bus Back Scoreboard
Community First Credit Union: Flexible Bus
National Council Against Smoking In The US
It would be better if the lettering on the red background were bigger
Weight Watchers
Outofhomedia: Ad Block This
Do the Ad Blocker companies stop to think about the fact that they are posting ads?
Topfit: Exceed. Be At The Top
Field Museum
Shanghai Essilor Optical Co. Anti-Fatigue Lenses
Use The Crosswalk
Domestos
Stuck
Asics New York Marathon Sponsor
Daiya Foods: Hard To Notice
Road Safety Message
Air India: Air Travel At Land Travel Fares
Air New Zealand
ZVV Public Transportation
One ticket for everything.
Hell On Weels
Oh, This bus is hell on wheels? Think I'll catch the next one, thanks....
The Real Housewives
Weight Watchers: Watch Yourself Change
Limo Bus: In An Absolut World
Rocky Rococo Pizza
Corona Routine
Kaiser
1st Bank: Heli-Skiing, Now As Affordable As Free Checking
Save The Children Denmark: Would You Walk 6a’s Route To Get To School?
We danish sign technitians really know how to wrap a bus, huh? (Ofc the grafic designer starts us off well!)
Air New Zealand
Norwegian: The London Bus
"To highlight airline company Norwegians low fare flights to London, we brought left-hand traffic to Sweden by turning the back of Stockholm buses into the front of Londons classic double deckers."
X4 Energy Drink
good idea to save the ozone but sod being the only passenger
The Naval Museum Of Alberta
The porthole view image was mounted on a swivel and pendulum, so that it would simulate a rocking motion when the bus accelerated or stopped.
Sliced Bus
Disney, The Incredibles 2
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Monster.com: Wrong Job, Fireman
Menulog: You Do The Staying In. We'll Do Sushi
Danish Road Safety Council: Take The Bus, If You’ve Been Drinking
Neutrogena
Don‘t let this happen to your skin. Use Neutrogena.
Amnesty International: The Bus Tank
Athena Home Loans: The Prison Bus (Agency: The Royals)
A prison bus once ran into a cement mixer and the prisoners escaped. It came on the news to watch out for hardened criminals!
Brewerkz Bus Wrap
Chemical Brothers
Saluting All Sizes
Swiss Federal Office Of Public Health
No action without protection.
1. No intercourse without a condom.
2. No sperm or blood in the mouth.
ACDelco
The Field Museum - Mammoth Bus
Public Mobile
Swedish National Encyclopedia
The Midwife Crisis
"In the Out of Home Media Challenge we chose to support the Danish midwives because of the massive cuts in their resources over the last years. We wanted to dramatize the stress this placed on the Danish maternity wards. And we wanted bus passengers to help us. So we created an image where it looks like the busy passengers are abandoning a woman giving birth."
Centraal Beheer Insurance: Back Of The Bus
Yodobashi Camera
Axe: The Axe Effect
The Polyclinic
Pepsi
Tfh Management Slimming & Detoxifying Pill: Mini-Bus
Charmin Restrooms
I like the effects of the buses but some can be humiliating for the passengers
I imagine they're pretty good sports about it. Everybody gets that the bus wrap doesn't apply to an individual passenger. Now if there were an ad that specifically said something offensive, like "This person has body odor" or "this passenger is too fat" then I'd definitely be offended.
Load More Replies...Most of these were pretty cool, but the Weight Watchers one was just kinda mean, and some of them make me wonder how they're legal because you would not be able to see through any of the windows
@Bunzilla, apart from the clothes one (who can see out of *that*?) all of the others would be able to see out of the window. One Way Vision is an innovative window graphic made from perforated self-adhesive vinyl film. It is great for completing a full or partial vehicle wrap design onto windows. The tiny perforated (punched) holes allow visibility from the inside of the vehicle, while anyone viewing from the outside will see the window graphics. This product is used in Australia, and I'm assuming something similar is used globally. So, they are all legal (apart from perhaps the clothes one!)
Load More Replies...Some were cute, interesting, different & some I had no idea what the heck they were.
I like the effects of the buses but some can be humiliating for the passengers
I imagine they're pretty good sports about it. Everybody gets that the bus wrap doesn't apply to an individual passenger. Now if there were an ad that specifically said something offensive, like "This person has body odor" or "this passenger is too fat" then I'd definitely be offended.
Load More Replies...Most of these were pretty cool, but the Weight Watchers one was just kinda mean, and some of them make me wonder how they're legal because you would not be able to see through any of the windows
@Bunzilla, apart from the clothes one (who can see out of *that*?) all of the others would be able to see out of the window. One Way Vision is an innovative window graphic made from perforated self-adhesive vinyl film. It is great for completing a full or partial vehicle wrap design onto windows. The tiny perforated (punched) holes allow visibility from the inside of the vehicle, while anyone viewing from the outside will see the window graphics. This product is used in Australia, and I'm assuming something similar is used globally. So, they are all legal (apart from perhaps the clothes one!)
Load More Replies...Some were cute, interesting, different & some I had no idea what the heck they were.
