Tui Brings Animated Holiday Elves to London Underground Escalators

December 22, 2025 by guest author, John Berkovich

Tui has launched a festive digital out-of-home campaign across the London Underground, extending its Christmas television advertising into high-traffic transit environments through animated escalator displays.

Developed in partnership with Global’s Media & Entertainment group and post-production studio Pod Ldn, the campaign features 3D animated versions of Tui’s holidaying elves appearing on connected digital escalator screens, known as Ribbons, at King’s Cross, Oxford Circus, and Waterloo stations.

The creative builds on Tui’s Christmas TV spot, which imagines what Santa’s elves do while he is away, positioning them as enthusiastic holidaymakers. For the Underground activation, the main character from the ad is reimagined in a 10-second animated sequence explicitly designed for the ribbon-format displays:

The animation plays on the idea of a luggage carousel, extending the holiday journey beyond television and into the daily commute. As travelers ride the escalators, the elves appear to move fluidly from screen to screen, surfing on suitcases and passing holiday imagery drawn from Tui’s wider campaign visuals.

Pod Ldn handled end-to-end production, collaborating with Global’s creative outdoor team on storyboarding before developing the 3D models, animations, and supporting 2D elements. The studio also managed background design, compositing, and final assembly of the creative.

Sara Ali, director of brand marketing at Tui UK, said the Underground activation reflects the brand’s focus on disruptive formats and serves as a playful extension of its seasonal television advertising.

Anto Chioccarelli, creative director for outdoor at Global, noted that the escalator ribbon format offers a natural platform for storytelling and emotional engagement, allowing brands to create bespoke, motion-led experiences that interact with audiences in transit environments.

(Image/Video: TUI)