Design of the Week: Ferial Haffajee
Taxis have always been rather utilitarian affairs, usually in white or a watery baby- blue. Used to shuttle people to work and back and nothing more. But Philips has found another use for them.
The company has jazzed up 21 taxis in bright, modern, uncluttered murals to advertise its kettles and irons. The designs are big, they are splashed across the taxi windows, and appear almost three- dimensional.
And theyve caught commuters eyes. A survey by the advertising agency, Hercules DMB&B, which commissioned the campaign for Philips, found that four in five people surveyed had noticed the taxis. And a large proportion of those people had become more aware of Philips as a brand.
Taxis emblazoned like this could become more common. Lauren Ince of Hercules says they are an ideal way of getting to the growing market of people with newly electrified homes. About 41% of this market doesnt own TV sets and they spend most of their time travelling, says Ince.
The outside-visual campaign is matched by an indoor-aural campaign. Taxinet, which contracts with taxi owners, also provides tapes with Philips ads on them for drivers to play on their taxi cassettes.