As of 1st, July 2005, Seoul Metropolitan Government embarked on drastic restructuring of its public transportation system. The new pubic transportation system made “Bus-only-lane and Bus stop (bus shelter)” located on the center of the roads. New bus stops and bus shelter advertising on the center of the roads are more easily recognizable than the existing ones. The following is a detailed description on outdoor advertising after the newly designed bus system.

Bus-Only Lane on the Center of Roads
The Seoul Metropolitan Government operated newly designed buses on the newly adjusted routes as of July 1, 2004. All buses on the “bus-only lane on the center of the roads” are colorized according to the type of city buses, which results in replacing the old bus signs with newly designed ones. And a number of innovative bus shelters serving as bus stops were stood on the center of the roads. Initially designed by Norman Foster from France, the bus shelters were re-touched to give themselves traditional Korean image. 213 bus shelters, which were newly installed on the bus-only lane of the road center, are at 102 bus stops, are one hundred two bus shelters. Each bus shelter has two or four sides of advertisements. As a result, approximately 500 boards of advertisements came into existence by the reorganization of the public transportation system.

High Visibility From Sidewalks
Because of the location on the center of the roads, the new bus shelters were expected to get more attention and double ad impact from passersby or passengers. Also, many advertisers were interested on the new type of advertising media brought on by the reformation on the streets. In fact, Even though the number of advertisement boards on the bus shelters has more than those of which was first planned, bus shelter advertisement has a greater ad impact than other outdoor media because it has a close relation to our life. Unlike the traditional outdoor media, the advertisements of bus shelters on the center of the road are not blocked with any obstacle, which prevents people from seeing them. So, with high visibility, the bus shelter advertisements increase ad effect from the public. And they can be exposed to those who are in buses, taxies, and cares, and are walking on the streets around the clock. The bus-only-lane on the center of the roads is crowded with a great many people and is a living space for them. In the heart of Seoul city, 1185 * 1750mm bus shelter is located at a point of contact with people, and it communicates with them every day. People come in contact with bus shelter advertisements regardless of their own will. The outdoor media always are ready to open up customers’ consciousness. Eventually, the bus shelter advertisement on point of purchase is able to induce people to buy products.

Flexible Advertising Management
For the best effective advertising campaign, a company should not make too much of placing a advertisement on a type of ad media but decentralize its ad on a variety of types of ad media according to the complete strategy of advertising campaign. One of the strengths of IMC (Integrated Marketing Communication) is that at the first stage of advertising campaign, a company establishes the strategy for IMC and coincidently executes a variety of advertisement media, which could ultimately reduce the advertising expenditure. Compared to IMC, bus shelter advertisement can be the must type of outdoor media because it guarantees the consecutive advertising campaign with TV and newspapers. That is, bus shelter advertisement has a great effect on those who are just coming out the street after watch TV. Seoul Metropolitan Government placed advertisement on all bus shelter on the center of the roads so as to promote a grand scale reorganization of the public transportation system to the citizens during a month from 1st to 31, July 2004. Commercial advertisements were placed on the bus shulters immediately after 31, July. The two sides of bus shelters are visible from both sides of sidewalks and advertisement screens can be replaced with digital printing graphics. IPDecaux, which designed and produced the bus shelters, reserve the right of selling advertisement spaces. According to IPDecaux, the world-class companies of home and foreign country would be the principal advertisers for bus shelters and the shortest period of advertising contract is for a week and also can be flexibly managed according to advertiser’s strategy.