Freenow Bold Black Cab Campaign Taps London’s Cultural Pulse With a Hint of Everyday Banter
Campaign leans into big city culture without the big city stress to reinforce black cab trust
Executed across high-impact paid digital and digital OOH at iconic London locations
Freenow celerates the iconic black cab and reinforces its position as London's most trusted black cab app
London, September 29, 2025 – Freenow by Lyft, London's No. 1 Black Cab app, is rolling out a major new marketing campaign built on the city's most reliable cultural currency: its world-renowned, often self-deprecating British humour. This strategic initiative aims to reinforce the black cab's position as the most trusted transport option by tapping into the relatable "struggles" and memorable moments of London life.
Developed in collaboration with independent brand studio Saboteur, the campaign launches today across high-impact out-of-home (OOH) and paid digital channels, and will remain live throughout October 2025. The media placements are designed for maximum visibility, hitting iconic London hubs like Leicester Square and the Cube on Oxford Street, ensuring the creative intercepts consumers during peak cultural moments, such as cultural or sports events.
Strategic Creative: From Commuter Complaints to Connection
The creative execution is centred on witty, culturally resonant vignettes of Londoners engaging in favourite activities—from gig-going and cultural events to sports days and city-centre shopping. However, the copy pivots away from simple stress relief, instead focusing on authentic "Londoner" commentary that contrasts the usual chaotic travel experience with the guaranteed comfort and reliability of a Freenow black cab.
Tony Fletcher, Global Marketing Director at Freenow, commented: "London is special and utterly unique. We all love the vibrant chaos, but people are so busy that it makes it really hard to capture people’s attention in an authentic way. With this campaign, we’re bringing our own humour and our own experiences of London to the city in a way that we hope helps people bond more with the iconic London cabs.
It’s a strategic evolution for Freenow, not just for a laugh, but to solidify the black cab’s role as the trusted, hassle-free choice to get around town and home again.”
Alex Clegg, Co-Founder, Saboteur Studio, added: "This campaign hinges on recognising that Londoners love to complain and joke about their journeys. We moved beyond generic taxi travel messaging to embrace this collective truth. By pairing these relatable annoyances with the black cab’s inherent safety and comfort, we created a concept that delivers an emotional payoff in a snapshot. The goal was simple: reinforce black cabs as the smartest, wittiest travel decision you can make."
Freenow’s campaign serves once again as a major investment in the black cab category, positioning the iconic transport once again as a reliable cultural anchor in the modern, fast-paced urban landscape.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
Accompanying assets can be found here
About Freenow by Lyft
Freenow by Lyft is the European taxi app featuring broad multi-mobility options for everyone across 9 European markets and over 180 cities. Millions of passengers can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, private hire vehicles, carsharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and public transport. With headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, Freenow is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann.
In July 2025, Freenow was acquired by Lyft, a global mobility platform offering a mix of rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across 4 continents and nearly 1,000 cities. Millions of drivers have chosen to earn on billions of rides. Together, Freenow and Lyft are helping to create a more connected world, with transportation options for everyone.
Visit our website for further information and download the Freenow app.
About Saboteur
Saboteur is an independent brand studio on a mission to set brands free. We always start by asking our clients two things. “What do you want to be free from?” and “what do you want to be free to do, or be?” Simple questions that provoke profound answers. We do three things: brand strategy, brand identity and brand expression. We just set out to do them really, really well. Our clients range from the world's most important business consultancy, cultural organisations like AXA, Universal Production Music, Qatar Airways, Freenow. We believe in using the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy for people, communities and the planet. That's why we're a certified B Corp.
Visit our website for further information.