Virgin Media has confirmed the first advertising partners for its new London Underground WiFi service. From this week, splash page ads from Renault and eBay will appear as Tube passengers hop onto the next generation WiFi service at the start of their journeys.
eBay’s campaign will enable shoppers to explore their online shopping universe of 30 million items whilst deep underground at Tube stations across the capital for the very first time. Renault’s, meanwhile, will show off its electric vehicle range, including Twizy, an electric urban compact two-seater, and the forthcoming electric supermini, ZOE, perfect for a London audience.
Virgin Media rolled out splash page ads from the launch of its next generation WiFi service in early June with the space now being taken by commercial advertising partners beginning with Renault and eBay. Users will see the ad just before accessing the comprehensive, free WiFi portal at the start of their journey for up-to-the-minute TfL travel information, daily recommendations from Time Out, exclusive playlists from Spotify and the latest trailers and red carpet gossip from MyMovies.Net.
Up to 120 Tube stations across the capital will be connected by the end of 2012.
Mark Brandon, commercial director, Virgin Media, explains: “Renault and eBay are perfect launch partners, bringing relevant and engaging content to our new WiFi service. As we roll-out across London Underground and connect millions of journeys each day, we’ll continue to evolve the service and make the most of a unique opportunity to reach a digitally savvy and invaluable audience of millions of Londoners.”
Olivier Ropars, Senior Director for eBay Mobile adds: “We know that time spent travelling is often time people would like to fill with shopping or browsing on their mobiles. By investing in this presence on Virgin London Underground wifi, we hope we can help bring eBay mobile shopping to even more people and make getting online on the go even easier for our millions of mobile customers.”
Virgin Media is offering free, full internet access to online destinations throughout the summer. After the summer, the comprehensive WiFi portal with TfL travel information, updates and great London news and entertainment will remain free for all Tube passengers. Passengers wanting to hop onto the rest of the internet will be able to make the most of a range of options including full internet access for customers of Virgin Media and selected networks, as well as a Pay As You Go service perfect for visitors and regular London commuters.
To use the new free WiFi service, London Underground passengers simply need to connect to the service and register their email address.
