Mills & Allen and TDI unveil plans for outdoor expansion

Outdoor contractors Mills & Allen and TDI this week unveiled separate drives to win new business from leading retailers and expand the outdoor market to the UK’s motorways.

Bus and tube contractor TDI has been appointed by coach operator National Express to handle advertising sales on a fleet of 450 coaches for the first time.

From October 1, advertisers will be able to buy space on the rear of coaches on the full fleet and 45 vinyl-wrapped “Mega Rears”, where the creative work completely covers the back of the vehicle.

Jeremy Male, TDI’s managing director, says: “This is an opportunity for advertisers to target business travellers and people on the move.”

Meanwhile, poster contractor Mills & Allen is launching a marketing push aimed at the UK’s top 50 retailers, which spend very little in the outdoor market, in the run-up to the busy Christmas period.

The outdoor sector has been hit by the decision of drinks manufacturers to return to TV ads, and it is bracing itself to lose tobacco ad revenue because of a Government ban.

Six national packages of 3,000 48-sheet poster sites have been created (average packages have about 1,500 to 2,000 sites), made up of sites close to retail outlets with high levels of illumination.

Mills & Allen commercial director David Pugh says: “This is all part of a general trend of trying to open new sectors of advertising in the outdoor market.”