Brand the Bus 2025 launches with record busting support for good causes

Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel today revealed its Brand the Bus 2025 competition that enables a local good cause to have its branding splashed across the city will be worth £100,000 to the winner. 

In its seventh year, Brand the Bus which launches in January 2025 is bigger and better than ever before, thanks to a new community-based partnership with Get Radio and Oxford City Football Club. It means a bumper advertising package worth £100,000 is available across 12 months for the winning organisation. 

The winner will have its branding placed on a double-decker bus; widespread advertising via digital screens on-board Oxfordshire buses; an advertising package on Get Radio; become Oxford City Football Club’s charity of choice for the 2025-26 season; along with social media content. 

Runners-up will receive digital onboard bus advertising worth £2,000 and £1,000 respectively. 

To enter, good causes must be registered in and be delivering impact in Oxfordshire and submit a simple entry form online providing background information and what it would mean to win the competition. Entry opens on 1st January 2025 and closes on 1st March, the public will be able to vote up until 1st April and the final top 10 entries will then be shortlisted and go to a judging panel, who will then decide on a winner in June.

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, said: “We’re proud to be taking our Brand the Bus competition onto an unprecedented level in 2025. 

“We care deeply about the communities we serve and believe in giving back where we can. 

“Brand the Bus is an excellent way for charities and good causes to raise awareness of what they do. Many thanks to Get Radio and Oxford City Football Club for partnering with us this year to help us elevate how we can support good causes. It’s a partnership based on shared community values and we’re looking forward to helping more good causes via the competition.”

Hamish Law, Commercial Director at Get Radio, said: "At Get Radio, supporting charities is part of our DNA. Oxfordshire charities do some incredible work, and we firmly believe that we should support them wherever possible. 

“Working with Oxford Bus Company on Brand the Bus has presented a hugely powerful partnership, where we can help showcase the vital work that charities do here in Oxfordshire." 

Oxford City Football Club owner, Justin Merritt, said: "Oxford City FC is extremely proud to be supporting the Brand the Bus project. Working closely with our local community, we have seen the impact Brand the Bus can have for a charity and its staff. 

“We are really pleased to be a partner of the Oxford Bus Company and look forward to seeing the winner on the bus around the city.”

Last year Oxford Hospitals Charity scooped first prize and Be Free Young Carers the runners-up. Other charities that have had buses branded are SeeSaw, Girl Guiding Oxfordshire, Home-Start Oxford, Blue Skye-Thinking and Restore.

Prizes will be awarded to entries who have, in the panel’s opinion, fulfilled the brief to the highest standard. The winning organisation will be invited to work with Oxford Bus Company on the design with the branded bus expected to launch in the autumn of 2025.