Delhi’s metro commuters are accustomed to a city awash with advertising. From billboards lining highways to digital screens in malls, the city is no stranger to marketing messages vying for attention. But now, as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) experiments with moving tunnel-wall advertisements on the Yellow Line, the daily journey is poised to become far more than a routine commute. It’s a glimpse into a future where public spaces transform into immersive media experiences, and where brands are not just seen - they are felt.
At first glance, tunnel-wall ads might seem like a minor innovation in Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising. Yet, the implications are profound. The Yellow Line is one of Delhi Metro’s busiest corridors, contributing significantly to DMRC’s ridership and revenue. The pilot project leverages LED panels that create motion-effect advertisements synchronized with the passing trains, converting what was previously idle, underground time into a high-impact engagement opportunity for brands.
“Today, approximately 20% of DMRC's revenues come from non-ticketing sources leading us to believe that we shall witness increasing attention towards such innovative ideas and experimentations,” says Junaid Shaikh, Managing Director, RoshanSpace Brandcom. “Looking at an average commuter's typical travel pattern, estimated around 30 km and this is covered around 45 minutes or so considering the pace at which metro operate, that's considerable dwell time. Tunnel-wall media, in our view, could turn this 'dead time' into a compelling, potent brand experience,” he adds.
The Shift from Static to Immersive
Traditionally, metro advertising has relied on static billboards, posters, and occasional digital displays. While effective, these formats often blend into the background for regular commuters. Moving tunnel-wall ads aim to disrupt this passivity. By using motion and interactivity, they transform everyday travel into a dynamic experience.
“Absolutely. Moving and immersive ads transform passive viewing into active engagement. Formats such as anamorphic screens, tunnel motion ads, and digital OOH innovations create moments of surprise and memorability. For daily commuters, this shift keeps the journey dynamic and ensures higher recall for brands,” says Rohit Chopra, COO, Times OOH. He adds that campaigns like a motion-led promotion for Hair & Care, which was triggered during the arrival of trains at the station, “instantly caught passengers’ attention and made the brand name highly memorable.”
This shift is not just about capturing eyeballs. According to Junaid Shaikh, the environment of commute becomes an integral part of a citizen’s daily life. “OOH and DOOH along highways and transit routes must be viewed as cohesively as 'commute media' and evaluated as a holistic component. The environment of commute becomes a part of citizen’s everyday life since they spend substantial time on the road and in transit. We believe that by accentuating these environments, the ambience is enhanced, and people's views of the quality improves consistently once these are leveraged as media touch points.”
Balancing Engagement and Visual Fatigue
While moving ads offer high recall and engagement, there is a risk of over-saturation. If public spaces become overcrowded with messaging, commuters can experience visual fatigue, which might dilute the impact of advertising.
“That’s a very valid concern. The balance lies in curation. If public spaces are over-saturated, it risks causing visual fatigue and diluting brand impact. That’s why Times OOH works closely with metro authorities to maintain an optimal balance—ensuring premium formats, innovation-led campaigns, and strategic placements rather than cluttered messaging,” explains Rohit Chopra. He emphasizes that, “when done responsibly, branding can enhance the cityscape, making it more vibrant and contemporary, while still respecting commuters’ comfort and the visual environment.”
This sentiment is echoed by Vaishal Dalal - Co-Founder & Partner, Excellent Publicity, who stresses that moving tunnel-wall ads are more than just a new format; they represent a turning point for transit media. “In cities where commuters are desensitized to static billboards, converting tunnel walls into synchronized LED storytelling surfaces creates an immersive, high-impact canvas for brands. By engaging passengers in those otherwise idle moments of a commute, these motion-effect ads elevate brand recall while also projecting an image of innovation for advertisers willing to embrace them.”
Innovation Meets Ethics
As advertising inches closer to total immersion, ethical and regulatory considerations come into play. The responsibility of advertisers extends beyond creativity to ensuring safety, accessibility, and appropriateness for diverse audiences.
“Ethics and compliance are central to OOH advertising, especially in public spaces. Advertisers must ensure that messaging is appropriate for diverse audiences, safe in terms of lighting and digital transitions, and compliant with authority regulations. Equally important is accessibility—ads should never obstruct navigation or compromise commuter safety,” says Rohit Chopra. The focus on responsible advertising ensures that commuter experience is enhanced rather than disrupted.
Commuter Experience as a Creative Canvas
Some brands have taken the opportunity to embed inspiration and storytelling into these transit environments, moving beyond traditional product promotion. Kedar Ravangave, Head of Marketing, Kotak Mahindra Bank, shares an example from the BKC Metro station, “It’s more like a flow where you know you want to, you don’t want to be intimidating the customer, but make it feel like it's a part of them. When we took on the BKC metro station - the brief was really less about selling a product and saying we've got XYZ&Y or come and invest. But more about if you walk that station in, we want you to feel inspired. Everything is so intuitive and so organic. If you are stepping onto the escalator, it reminds you about the multiple steps that one has to take to achieving your dream. There is a full wall that has been put up which takes walks you through all the inspirational work that is happening around there, a dedicated section at the metro, which has murals on all the achievers and the different kind of professionals that come out of BKC.”
By aligning advertising with aspirational narratives, brands not only create engagement but also add value to the commuter journey. This approach emphasizes that OOH can be more than a commercial tool—it can become a platform for storytelling that resonates with the audience on an emotional level.
Revenue Opportunities and Strategic Advantage
The DMRC’s foray into immersive tunnel-wall advertising also makes business sense. By offering a revenue-sharing model for non-ticketing sources, the metro ensures that the system benefits from the creation of advertising opportunities, which in turn can help curb ticket price increases—a win for commuters and authorities alike.
Junaid Shaikh elaborates, “The use of a revenue-sharing model ensures that the DMRC benefits from the creation of advertising opportunities for marketers. These non-ticket revenue opportunities ultimately help fending of increase in ticket pricing, an ultimate benefit to the consumer.”
The Future of OOH in Transit Spaces
As cities grow and commuters increasingly spend substantial time in transit, OOH and DOOH advertising are evolving to meet both audience expectations and brand ambitions. Excellent Publicity sees this as a shift from one-way, static displays to dynamic experiences that move with people and mirror the rhythm of urban life.
“OOH is no longer about occupying space; it’s about creating context. And as agencies, our role is to help brands navigate these innovations thoughtfully, ensuring creativity meets technology to deliver resonance, not just reach,” says Vaishal Dalal.
Junaid Shaikh underscores the importance of leveraging these environments to create memorable brand interactions: “One of the strongest benefits commuting media has with its broad reach is that it encourages memorable brand interactions. Marketers can therefore make smart choices that balance creative with knowledge of passenger flow, mood, and surroundings is both an opportunity and challenge for brands.”
Delhi’s metro system is no longer just a mode of transportation. It is a canvas for innovation, a laboratory for advertising, and a stage for storytelling. Moving tunnel-wall ads on the Yellow Line exemplify how transit spaces are transforming into immersive media environments where brands can engage thoughtfully, ethically, and creatively.
The pilot initiative hints at a future where commuters’ journeys are intertwined with moments of surprise, inspiration, and engagement. For the industry, it signals a new frontier in OOH advertising. For the city, it offers a way to enhance public spaces, making them vibrant, contemporary, and reflective of modern Delhi’s pulse.
In a metropolis increasingly saturated with content, these innovations remind us that branding, when done responsibly, can elevate not only products but also the experiences of those navigating the city’s daily rhythms. In the age of moving tunnel-wall ads, Delhi Metro commutes are no longer just rides - they are journeys into the future of urban advertising.
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