It’s the kind of story we’ve become very accustomed to report on – advert changes in Edinburgh! The past few weeks have seen a few more changes, including a couple of ads which have stayed with the same sponsor but have had slight revisions whilst there has also been a complete new advert added to one tram.
We start off this article with the tram which has completed changed advertiser and that is 264. Previously advertising National Galleries Scotland, the tram now has vinyls applied (not a full wrap) for The Real Mary Kings Close. This is a tourist attraction located on the Royal Mile and is described as a preserved 17th century street.
Carrying full height adverts on the third and fifth sections of the tram, the remainder of the tram just has ads above the windows as has been the case on all ten adverts the tram has now carried! 264 has become the first tram to have carried adverts for ten different sponsors since it received its first for Parabola Edinburgh Fringe Festival in July 2018. Its longest lasting ad was for Johnnie Walker #jointhepact between January 2020 and June 2022.
Other recent advert news has seen both 251 and 255 receive amendments to their current adverts. For 251 this sees its St James Quarter ads updated – the fifth amendment to these adverts. It first had ads for St James Quarter in June 2022 and after one revision it lost the ads in favour of Hello Fresh in January 2023. Back to St James Quarter in June 2023 its been carrying these adverts ever since but is now on the third different vinyls in this period.
As for 255 it is continuing to advertise Forever Edinburgh – a company that has an association to the tram all the way back to October 2020. The adverts were revised in September 2023 when it received different ads on each side. Another revision in January 2024 has seen one side only updated. The only other advert the tram had carried was for CR Smith (October 2017-March 2020).
255 is seen here on Ocean Drive not long after it had left Newhaven bound for the Airport. This is the side of the tram which has received new adverts for Forever Edinburgh. (Photograph by Roy Calderwood, 27th January 2024)
The new vinyls on 264 are seen on the tram here at St Andrew Square. The ad is for The Real Mary King’s Close.
Another look at 264’s new vinyls. (Photographs x2 by Roy Calderwood, 4th February 2024)