Brands That Typically Advertise on the Tube Around New Year’s

New Year on the London Underground is a mix of festive crowds and fresh energy. You have shoppers racing around for last minute bits, mates heading into town for celebrations and commuters returning to routine. That busy stretch from late December into the first weeks of January is when Tube advertising can feel everywhere, because brands want attention while London is on the move.

For mid level brands, the New Year period is also practical. People are already travelling more. They are in central London for events, sales, dining and winter days out. London Underground advertising puts your message in front of that footfall repeatedly across stations, platforms, escalators and ticket halls.

What New Year Looks Like on the London Underground

The New Year period is not one single audience. It is several, overlapping.

• Festive travellers heading to the West End, markets and seasonal events
• Party crowds moving between interchanges late afternoon and evening
• Boxing Day and January sale shoppers travelling in groups
• Commuters back on the network as workplaces reopen
• Visitors to London using interchanges to navigate the city

That mix is why Tube ads work well at New Year. You can build broad awareness or you can focus on the most relevant stations and lines for your audience.

Why Brands Go Big on the Tube at New Year

Brands plan New Year's activity for three reasons. Reach, mood and timing.

Reach that Builds Fast

Central London stations collect large and mixed footfall in short bursts. That is ideal for launches, seasonal pushes and retail deadlines.

A Seasonal Mindset

People are spending, booking, planning and saying yes to nights out. They are also thinking about changes they want to make once the calendar flips. Your message can sit within both moods, festive and forward looking.

High Visibility in the Right Places

The Tube gives you strong sightlines. Platforms, escalators and ticket halls make adverts easy to spot. Digital also lets brands rotate messaging across the New Year run.

Brands Lighting Up the Tube for New Year

New Year advertising on the London Underground tends to cluster around familiar categories. Brands return because the audience is there.

Retail and January Sales Brands

Retailers and marketplaces use the Tube to push last minute gifting, Boxing Day sales and early January offers. The goal is simple. Drive footfall into stores and online clicks while shoppers are already travelling.

Strong tactics for retail

• High coverage in Zone 1 shopping stations
• Clear offer lines and short copy
• Repeated poster formats across several stations

Food, Drink and Winter Socialising Brands

New Year means meet-ups. Drinks brands, alcohol free ranges and quick-serve food often use the Tube during this period because people are heading out.

Alcohol free brands also get visible across the wider New Year window, linked to Dry January messaging. Lucky Saint is one example reported as using London Underground sites for seasonal outdoor activity.

Entertainment Streaming and Big Releases

Evenings are long. People are looking for plans. That supports entertainment campaigns across late December and early January.

Some of the campaigns across major Tube stations included Netflix titles, Disney releases and Google Pixel.

Travel and Experiences

From city breaks to winter sun planning, travel brands push during the New Year period because people are browsing and booking. Brands like Intrepid and British Airways often use London Underground to stay front of mind while Londoners are on the move.

Fitness and Wellbeing

Fitness brands also appear through the New Year window, when people are thinking about routines and memberships. Virgin Active has used London Underground placements as part of wider outdoor activity tied to this seasonal period.

Tube Ad Formats that Work Well During the New Year

New Year crowds move quickly. You want formats that land at a glance, then land again and again.

Formats that suit the period

• In station posters for broad coverage across multiple stations
• Digital screens for rotating creative and time sensitive messaging
• Large format placements for big seasonal statements, including platform level options like 48 sheet cross track formats
• Escalator formats for longer viewing time, including Digital Ribbon style placements

Stations that Match New Year Footfall

If your campaign is built around New Year crowds, Zone 1 hubs and retail stations do the job. These locations pick up visitors, shoppers, nights out and commuter traffic.

Consider stations such as

• Oxford Circus
• Tottenham Court Road
• Piccadilly Circus
• Waterloo
• Victoria
• King’s Cross St Pancras
• Liverpool Street

Plan Your New Year Tube Advertising Now

If you want your brand seen during the New Year period, the Tube is one of the strongest places to do it. London Underground Advertising helps you choose the right formats, pick the right stations and book coverage that matches your budget and timing.

Speak to our team and we will map out a New Year campaign that fits your audience and your goals.

FAQs

Which brands advertise on the London Underground during the New Year?

Retail, entertainment, travel, fitness and seasonal drinks brands often run Tube advertising across late December and early January. Reported examples include Lucky Saint, Virgin Active, Netflix, Disney, Google Pixel and British Airways.

What is the best Tube ad format for the New Year period?

In station posters work well for coverage, while digital and escalator formats help with attention and message rotation.

Which London Underground stations suit New Year campaigns?

Zone 1 stations near retail and nightlife, such as Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo and Victoria, are strong options for seasonal footfall.

How early should brands book Tube formats for advertising around the New Year?

It is recommended to book in advance because premium stations and high coverage packages get busy across late December and early January.