How Financial Times Took Over the London Underground to Promote the Global Banking Summit 2024

When it comes to promoting high-profile events to a discerning professional audience, location and format matter just as much as the message itself. That’s exactly why the Financial Times turned to escalator panel advertising in the London Underground to make a bold statement ahead of its prestigious Global Banking Summit 2024 — and we were proud to help make it happen.

A Summit Worth Talking About

The Global Banking Summit is one of the Financial Times’ flagship events, bringing together financial leaders, economists, policymakers, and C-suite decision-makers from across the globe. Hosted in the heart of London, the 2024 edition aimed to set the tone for post-pandemic finance, global regulation, and economic stability.

But with a city flooded with messaging — especially in the run-up to summer — cutting through the noise was crucial. FT needed a campaign that not only reached the right people, but did so with impact, stature, and relevance.

Why the London Underground? Why Escalator Panels?

Our team identified the London Underground’s escalator panels as the ideal format to achieve all three goals:

• High Dwell Time: Escalators give brands a captive audience. Passengers spend 20–40 seconds ascending or descending — perfect for brand storytelling.
• Sequential Messaging: With multiple panels in a row, the FT campaign built anticipation step-by-step, mimicking the experience of attending a high-level summit.
• Targeted Footfall: By choosing stations like Bank, Canary Wharf, and Liverpool Street, we put the messaging in front of the exact audience FT wanted — the finance elite, every weekday.

From Brief to Build — Our Role

Our team managed the campaign from start to finish:

• Developed a targeted media plan around key commuter hubs.
• Collaborated with FT’s design team to ensure artwork maximised the visual rhythm of the escalator format.
• Handled media booking, production, and TfL compliance, ensuring everything ran on schedule.

The campaign ran for two weeks ahead of the summit, ensuring maximum visibility during peak travel windows.

What Happened Next?

The campaign delivered over 2 million impressions and helped position the Global Banking Summit 2024 as the financial event of the year. Attendees mentioned seeing the campaign during their commute — a powerful reminder that OOH still drives real-world results when placed smartly.

In the words of the client:

“The Underground campaign delivered stature, relevance, and visibility right where we needed it. Seamlessly executed.”

This campaign proves that when a world-class brand meets a strategic format in the right environment, the results speak for themselves. For the Financial Times, escalator panels weren’t just advertising — they were an extension of the brand’s authority and elegance.

If you're planning a B2B event, high-level conference or summit, don’t overlook the power of london underground advertising— especially when your audience is moving through the beating heart of a business capital like London.