TfL launches 25-year celebratory campaign with VCCP and Wavemaker UK

VCCP and Wavemaker UK are behind the creative work for Transport for London's (TfL) new integrated ad campaign, which marks its 25th anniversary through vivid illustrations.

The whole campaign is underpinned by London's rich culture, TfL's spirit of innovation, and its ability to really change people's lives. Whether it's integrating new and extended services, making transport greener and safer, or ensuring that London's transport system is more inclusive and accessible than ever, there's no doubt that TfL has evolved a lot in the last quarter of a decade.

An initial series of five posters was revealed this week – created by VCCP in collaboration with talented London-based illustrators Charlie Davis, Eoin Ryan, and Raj Dhunna. Each was designed to shine a light on key moments in TfL's history, from the arrival of the 'Baby on Board' badge in 2006 and the launch of the Tube night service in 2016 to the introduction of the Oyster card in 2003 and the recent Northern Line expansion to Battersea. The final poster celebrates how TfL supported Londoners and visitors alike during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Names like Man Ray, Abram Games, and Tom Eckersley spring to mind when considering TfL's strong heritage in illustration, so the bar was set pretty high for this latest campaign. That said, VCCP wanted the creative work to represent the last 25 years rather than retrospectively.

"We selected London-based illustrators so they would have an understanding of the network and how it serves the wider London community," says VCCP creative director Simon Learman. He notes that the three chosen creatives have "figurative styles that create a careful balance between being incredibly reductive and charming".

The illustrative styles seek to blend the timelessness of TfL's designs with a bold, modern energy. The posters will also be featured on a special edition 25th anniversary TfL roundel.

VCCP plans to bring 25 product points to life throughout the campaign, aligning with the 25-year anniversary. Therefore, further posters will be revealed throughout the year.

On the wider creative direction, Learman says, "Whilst highlighting service improvements, we wanted to ensure that the human benefits really came through - humanity is crucial to the TfL brand.

"Fundamentally, this is a campaign about people: Londoners. Using three illustrators also allowed us exceptional nuance between the various topics to prevent wear."

According to Learman, one of the project's challenges was demonstrating the direct human benefit in a simple, reductive, and charming way while making the visuals technically compelling. However, he describes creative directors Matt Allen and Luke Ashton, who worked on the project, as "brilliant thinkers who are equal to the task".

Learman also believes that having multiple minds on the illustration side yielded the best results, as each provided a different take on the brief. "Matt's scamps are really polished, so the illustrators aren't executing from a standing start, but they always come back with interesting and brilliant builds," he adds.

The posters created for the 25-year campaign will remain part of TfL's living archive. Further posters will be created and released roughly every quarter, so each set has good exposure.

"We're proud of all the work we produce for TfL, but this is an especially exciting campaign in that it is simply a celebration," says Learman. "A campaign that juxtaposes a pregnant woman with a Dalmation means we have the makings of a constantly surprising collection of work, and that's reflective of London."

He continues, "The transport system is the lifeblood of our city—it brings people together from every background.

"I think it was the art critic John Richardson who said that art is a mirror, a reflection of the people and times we live in. Hopefully, this achieves that."

Along with the eye-catching posters, the campaign will also be unveiled through media activations by Wavemaker UK. From today, and running throughout 2025, the ad campaign will go live across out-of-home (OOH) poster sites and digital-out-of-home (DOOH) screens within the TfL estate.

VCCP's content creation studio, Girl&Bear, managed the campaign's production, and digital experience agency Bernadette oversaw the animation of the DOOH elements.

Throughout the year, a series of activities will be held to celebrate the 25 years since the creation of TfL. This includes London Transport Museum's new photography exhibition which will open in June, featuring historic photographs of London's transport from the 19th century, alongside contemporary images of today, showing how transport has helped shape the capital.