Rotana takes to London streets with taxi adverts

Hotel operator Rotana has launched a year-long campaign targeting visitors from the UK with the deployment of a fleet of London taxis liveried with the company’s branding.

Known affectionately as ‘black cabs’ for their usual colour, the taxis are part of an effort to further grow the UK as a source market for Rotana’s hotels in the UAE.

Visitors from the UK already accounts for 19% of business for Rotana, with 300,000 people arriving from the country to its hotels last year. In 2014, the company is aiming to grow this figure by 14%.

“Reflecting its strong position as one of the world’s top tourism destinations, the UAE is experiencing a year-on-year increase of 10% in the number of visitors from the UK,” said Rotana president & CEO Omer Kaddouri.

“The goal of our campaign is to capitalise on this ever-growing interest by investing in one of Rotana’s prime markets. With a growing number of guests from the UK already choosing Rotana for their trips in the Middle East, we believe we are well-positioned to promote UAE’s tourism through this full-fledged marketing campaign.

“The famed black taxis constitute an integral part of London’s identity and we are proud to grow awareness of our brand through this popular British icon.”

Rotana’s livery is being extended to the interior of the taxis, with branding on tip seats and receipt pads for maximum exposure.

According to the hotel group, the campaign leverages the high impact mobile taxi advertising format, which ensures reach to key target audiences throughout London and beyond, from business people to native day-trippers.

Rotana will reinforce the campaign when World Travel Market 2014 (WTM) comes to London in November. It will double the number of cabs featuring the designs and add taxi superside adverts.