Revenue Generator: Advertisement Wrapped Trains

Apart from generating revenue through fares, there exist many other avenues for Metro operators to generate revenue. The bulk of it is often obtained from commercial leasing/rentals at stations and other facilities, but a small sliver comes from selling advertising rights. While advertisements are predominantly found within trains and stations and are often overlooked, what really catches everyone’s eyes are the train wraps! This advertising medium is a fairly new concept in India and even the Delhi Metro took a good 9 years to get its first wrap (by Pepsi). In Mumbai, Times OOH has the exclusive rights for advertising while in Delhi, a company called EG Communication has the rights for all 3 lines on which wraps are permitted.

Trains wraps, although expensive, are the most impactful form of advertising on Metro systems around the world. It essentially creates a moving billboard that has a high recall that also lends some credibility to the advertising client. That’s precisely why we’re seeing more and more advertisements donning India’s systems. As per some estimates, advertisers pay around Rs 25 lakh to wrap 6-8 coaches of a metro train for a month. The prices of course vary depending on the metro route and the number of coaches.

Here are some of the my favorite ads in no particular order:

1) Mumbai Metro

Oxigen Wallet – photo: Media 4 Growth, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Kerala Green Express – photo: Kerala Biz, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

OLX- photo: All About Outdoor, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

2) Delhi Metro

Amazon India – photo: Meda 4 Biz, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

India Mart – photo: Media 4 Growth, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Pespi- photo: Reliance Broadcast, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – photo: Reddit, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

3) Gurgaon – Rapid Metro Rail

The 3C Company – photo: Economic Times, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Skoda – photo: Drive Spark, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

– TMRG