Same Wall, Very Different Results
Walk through any MRT station and you’ll see dozens of ads. A few make you smile or stop for a second. The rest blend into the background like wallpaper. What’s the difference? Usually, it’s not the budget. It’s the idea.
If you’re planning MRT ads for your brand, a clever concept can do more than a bigger panel. Here are six ideas you can borrow, with a few made-up sample lines to show how each one might sound.
Note: all the business names and lines below are fictional.
Idea 1: Talk to the Commute Itself
The best train ads feel like they belong to the place they’re in. Everyone on the platform shares the same little struggles: the crowded carriage, the long wait, the 6pm squeeze. Speak to that, and people feel like you get them.
Sample: “Your train is two minutes away. Your teh tarik at Kopi Sudut is two minutes from the exit.”
This works well for cafes, clinics, gyms and anything near a station. It’s simple, relatable and easy to read in a glance.
Idea 2: Use Real Distance and Directions
Commuters love practical information. A line like “Exit B, 3 minutes’ walk” turns your ad from a nice picture into something useful.
Sample: “Sore shoulders after a long week? Senyum Physio is 3 minutes from Exit B.”
If your business is close to a station, put that closeness front and centre. It answers the first question people have, which is “is it convenient?”
Idea 3: Run a Station-Only Offer
Give commuters a reason to act, and a way for you to track it. A small offer that only appears on your train ads does both.
Sample: “Spotted this at the station? Show it at the counter for a free upgrade to large.”
It makes the ad feel like a little secret reward, and it tells you exactly how many people came because of it. Even something as simple as a promo code, like “MRT10”, does the job.
Idea 4: Tell a Story Across Several Panels
If you’re booking more than one spot, don’t just repeat the same ad. Break the message into a mini series. Each panel adds a line to the story, and commuters who pass several of them feel like they’re following along.
Sample sequence:
- Panel 1: “Late again?”
- Panel 2: “Traffic, trains, a missed breakfast.”
- Panel 3: “Grab a quick brekkie at Rasa Kita Bakery. Open from 6am.”
This is a great way to make use of repeat exposure, because people who ride the same line every day get to the punchline eventually. Just make sure each panel still makes sense on its own, since not everyone will see them in order.
Idea 5: Match the Message to the Time of Day
If you’re using digital screens, you can change your message through the day. Same brand, different moment.
- Morning: “Need a coffee before your 9am meeting?”
- Lunch: “Too tired to decide? We’ve got a set lunch for you.”
- Evening: “Heading home? Pick up dinner on the way.”
Even if you aren’t using screens, the idea still applies to how you choose a station. A stop in an office district is a different mood from a stop beside a university or a shopping centre.
Idea 6: Borrow a Local Moment
Festive seasons, school holidays, big events and long weekends give you something people are already thinking about. Tie your message to that, and your ad feels timely rather than random.
Sample: “Balik kampung soon? Get your car checked at Bengkel Maju before you hit the highway.”
Just remember that festive slots tend to fill up quickly, so plan ahead if you want a spot before Raya, CNY, Deepavali or year-end.
A Few Things That Make Any Idea Work Better
Whichever idea you pick, a few basics apply:
- One message only. The more you add, the less people remember.
- Short and big. If it can’t be read from a few metres away, trim it down.
- One clear action. Scan, WhatsApp, visit or search. Pick one.
- Consistent look. Keep your colours, logo and tone the same as your other ads so people recognise you.
- Give it time. Familiarity builds with repetition, so plan to run it for a few weeks rather than a few days.
What to Avoid
Even a clever idea can flop if it trips on these:
- Jokes that need a second to understand. People don’t have a second.
- Puns that only work in one language when your audience speaks several.
- A great line with no brand name, so nobody knows who it’s from.
- Making claims you can’t back up, like “the best in Malaysia.”
Pick the Right Station First
A clever ad in the wrong place is still the wrong ad. Think about who actually uses each station. Office workers, students, shoppers and families all behave differently, and an idea that suits one group may fall flat with another. If you’re not sure which station suits your customers, it helps to look at where your regulars live, work and shop, then work backwards.
You can also pair train ads with other media for more punch. Someone who sees your ad at the station and then spots your mall display at the weekend is much more likely to remember you.
Time to Get Creative
Great MRT ads don’t need a huge budget or a complicated concept. They need a relatable idea, a short message and a clear next step. Pick one of the ideas above, make it your own, and see how commuters respond.
If you’d like help shaping an idea or working out which stations and formats suit it, the team at Avyan is happy to chat. Drop us a message anytime. No hard sell, just a few friendly ideas to get you started with MRT ads that people actually notice.