The annual Brand the Bus competition launched by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel has seen an overwhelming response this year, with over 25 charities entering within the first month.
The competition offers local good causes the opportunity to win a £100,000 advertising package, which includes exclusive branding on a double-decker bus and a suite of promotional perks.
The competition has now garnered 27 entries from local charities and community groups, marking a record level of engagement at this stage in the process.
The latest iteration of Brand the Bus promises to be the most valuable yet thanks to a partnership with Get Radio and Oxford City Football Club. In addition to the branded bus, the winning charity will secure on-board digital screen advertising, airtime on Get Radio, and the status of being Oxford City FC’s official charity partner for the 2025-26 season.
“Brand the Bus continues to capture the public’s imagination and I’d encourage as many people to get involved as possible,” says Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel Luke Marion. “Brand the Bus always serves as a reminder that there’s so many good causes doing valuable work across Oxfordshire and we’re looking forward to hearing about even more.”
The competition also offers runners up prizes with two highly commended charities to receive on-board advertising packages worth £2,000 and £1,000 respectively.
The competition is open to charities and good causes with a presence in Oxfordshire or the surrounding area and requires entrants to submit an online form by 1 March. Each entry must outline how winning the prize would benefit the organisation and local community.
A public vote will shortlist the top 10 charities before a judging panel selects the overall winner and runners up, to be announced in June, with the newly branded bus unveiled and put into service in the autumn.
Past winners of the contest include SeeSaw, Girl Guiding Oxfordshire, and Oxford Hospitals Charity — the latter being the first time the competition saw the use of a battery-electric bus.
