Side of a bus

Bus advertising, ACTION bus, Canberra, Australia

Bus advertising is a popular way for advertisers to reach the public in metropolitan areas. There are several common methods used to do this. Passengers who use buses are frequently targeted with ads placed in bus shelters or on the backs of benches at stops. Once onboard, passengers are subjected to ads inside the bus, attached to the corners between the walls and ceiling overhead. Externally, placards known as "boards" can be placed on the front, sides, and rear of a bus. Occasionally, entire buses are turned into an advertisement in a "wrap" where decals are applied to all of the bus's visible exterior.

The municipality will often sell the rights to place advertising on public property to a media provider. A client will ask for a board to promote its product or approve the recommendation of the advertiser. An advertiser then asks a media broker to arrange for the purchase. The broker coordinates with the advertiser and the provider and collects a commission. The provider keeps the difference between what it collects and the payments it makes to the government agency.

Bus advertising descends from similar methods used on streetcars in the early 20th century. Subways and other systems employ many of these techniques, but sometimes eschew external advertising since the vehicles are sometimes not visible from the street. Wrap advertising also has the disadvantage of changing the livery of a transit vehicle, potentially confusing customers—especially if an area has multiple public transit providers.