Plans for huge floor-to-ceiling video adverts at Elizabeth line stations, as part of a major transformation scheme by Transport for London, have sparked concerns at City Hall that commuters will be “bombarded with ads”.
The project will see more than 1,000 digital screens installed across the Underground network, “designed to immerse, inspire and move Londoners like never before”, said TfL’s advertising partner Global - which has just signed a new eight-year contract with the capital’s transport authority.
As well as the new standard-sized screens however, Global has said it also wants to deliver “world-first immersive formats”, including wraparound digital screens covering the walls and ceiling of the Elizabeth line’s underground walkways.
It comes after the Elizabeth line was last year awarded the Stirling Prize for Architecture. Caroline Russell, a Green member of the London Assembly, said she feared more advertising could spoil the stations’ “beautiful, calming” design.
“Transport for London’s increasing reliance on wraparound advertising with sensory-heavy video screens raises serious concerns for neurodiverse Londoners,” she said.
“The Elizabeth Line stations are designed to be beautiful, calming environments through which many thousands of people pass every hour. It’s disappointing to see public transport, a space that should prioritise inclusion, being used to incentivise consumerism at the expense of wellbeing and accessibility.
“While advertising generates revenue that’s reinvested back into the transport system, TfL is a public service – it shouldn’t be so underfunded that Londoners are bombarded with ads just to keep the network afloat. I’ve already asked TfL for the Equality Impact Assessment to check they’ve accounted for the needs of neurodiverse passengers.”
Responding, a TfL spokesman said: “These digital wraps are still in early development and will be subject to testing and assessment before they can be introduced to the network.
“A full Equality Impact Assessment will also be carried out to ensure that the needs of all customers are fully considered.”
In addition to its plans for the Elizabeth line, Global has said it also wants to transform the 160-metre-long travelator at Waterloo Tube station into a “multi-sensory experience featuring eight massive, digital screens, combining sound, 3D visuals, scent and motion - a large format canvas that will surprise and delight every passenger”.
They added that their plans were “underpinned by sustainability - from solar-powered screen assembly to carbon-neutral materials and modular screens that can be repaired easily”.
Chris Forrester, Global’s managing director of commercial outdoor, said: “Since the launch of the world’s very first underground railway in 1863, Londoners have always looked to the Tube to tell them what’s going on, what’s new, and where they need to be.
“The corridors and carriages of the London Underground aren’t just ad space - they’re a part of the very fabric of London life and a creative canvas for advertisers. Global’s vision is to transform the everyday commute into an extraordinary experience that immerses, informs and inspires.”
