Unipole Advertising in Bengaluru
One column, two faces, both directions of travel.
A unipole is a large advertising face carried on a single central steel column, standing clear above surrounding clutter and almost always double-sided so it is read by traffic moving in both directions. It is the format of choice at city gateways and major intersections, where height and a long approach window matter more than sheer face area.
What unipole advertising actually is
The unipole solves a problem that ground-mounted hoardings struggle with: visual clutter at street level. By carrying the face on a single tall column, the format lifts the message clear of parked vehicles, trees, shopfront signage and the general noise of an Indian arterial road. What is left is a clean silhouette against the sky, visible from far further back than its dimensions alone would suggest.
The second defining feature is that unipoles are typically double-sided. One structure carries two faces back to back, addressing both directions of travel, which is why they are placed at gateways and junctions where flows split or converge rather than on a straight mid-block run.
Unipoles perform best where the road geometry creates a long approach window: a straight run, a gentle curve opening toward the structure, or a junction where traffic decelerates on the approach. On a tight urban stretch with buildings close to the carriageway, the same structure has far less to offer, and a well-sited hoarding will beat it. The format is genuinely site-dependent in a way that is easy to gloss over in a proposal.
Structurally, everything concentrates in one column. A single-column structure carrying two large faces has all its wind load resolved through one foundation, which makes foundation design and periodic structural verification more consequential than on a multi-leg frame. This is the format where cutting corners on engineering shows up fastest.
Where unipoles work in Bengaluru
Outer Ring Road gateways
Hebbal, Silk Board and KR Puram, the points where the ring road meets the radial corridors and traffic from several directions converges on one structure.
Bellary Road, the airport approach
A long, high-speed run with open sightlines. Height genuinely pays here, because the structure is picked up far back down the approach.
Tumakuru Road and Mysuru Road entries
Western and south-western city gateways, carrying intercity as well as commuter traffic into Bengaluru.
Hosur Road, the southern gateway
The approach to Electronic City and the Tamil Nadu corridor, with sustained volume in both directions through the day.
Old Madras Road and the eastern approach
The eastern entry serving Whitefield and the outer eastern belt, with converging flows at the junction points.
Major intersections with long approaches
Junctions where traffic decelerates on a straight or gently curving approach, the geometry the format is actually designed for.
Unipoles installations across Bengaluru
What determines the cost
- Gateway position
- Gateway and convergence sites are the premium tier of the format, priced on combined flow from all approaches rather than on a single traffic count.
- Face count
- Double-sided structures are usually taken whole. Single-face bookings, where available, cost less but forfeit the reverse direction.
- Height and structure
- Taller columns and larger foundations raise the underlying structure cost, which is reflected in the rate on newly built sites.
- Illumination
- Front-lit sites carry fixture and running cost and deliver a second daily viewing window after dark.
- Duration
- Unipoles are long-cycle inventory. Annual commitments are substantially better value than short flights, and short flights are often simply unavailable.
- Production and changeover
- Flex printing and mounting per face, incurred on each creative change.
- Statutory fees
- Advertisement fees and structural certification costs, billed at actuals.
We quote per site after survey, with media, production, statutory fees and taxes itemised separately rather than rolled into a single figure.
Approvals, compliance and structural requirements
- 01
Outdoor advertising in Bengaluru sits under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981, together with the advertisement bye-laws of the civic body for the ward in question.
- 02
Bengaluru's outdoor regime has changed repeatedly since the 2018 advertisement bye-laws and the Karnataka High Court directions that followed, and the civic structure itself was reorganised under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act. Permitted formats, permitted sites and the sanctioning authority are therefore confirmed per site at the time of quoting, never assumed from a previous campaign.
- 03
Unipoles on private land require a registered lease or licence with proof of title. On civic or authority-managed land, they are executed under the applicable tender, concession or partnership terms.
- 04
Foundation design and a structural stability certificate from a licensed structural engineer are mandatory. Because a single column resolves the wind load of two large faces through one foundation, this is the format where structural verification matters most, and it is re-checked periodically over long campaigns.
- 05
Illuminated structures need a sanctioned, metered electrical connection.
- 06
Height and setback from the carriageway are checked against the applicable local conditions for each site.
- 07
GST applies on the media and production invoice. Statutory advertisement fees, where levied, are billed at actuals against the sanction receipt.
How a campaign runs, start to finish
- 01
Gateway and geometry assessment
We look for the long approach window first. Without it, the format's height advantage is wasted and a hoarding is the better recommendation.
- 02
Site survey
Approach photographed from both directions at travelling speed, with obstruction and clutter height recorded.
- 03
Eligibility and documentation
Current permissibility, land title or authority terms, and the applicable sanction route confirmed before commitment.
- 04
Structural verification
Foundation and column certification for new structures; certificate currency verified on existing inventory.
- 05
Booking
Structure, face allocation, illumination and duration confirmed.
- 06
Artwork and print
Two faces printed per structure. We supply exact dimensions and safe area, and check legibility at approach distance.
- 07
Installation
Mounting scheduled for low-traffic windows, with both faces tensioned and aligned.
- 08
Go-live audit
Day and night photographs from both approach directions, confirming alignment and even illumination across each face.
- 09
Periodic inspection
Condition and structural checks through the run, with additional inspection after severe weather.
Best suited for
- Brands wanting a landmark presence at a city entry point
- Real estate developers marketing projects along a specific approach corridor
- Long-duration presence campaigns rather than short tactical bursts
- Categories where perceived scale carries meaning: automotive, banking, telecom, premium residential
- Campaigns needing both directions of travel covered by a single position
- Intercity and highway-approach messaging aimed at traffic entering the city
What we have executed in this format
2024 to 2025
Outer Ring Road gateway programme
A twelve-month double-sided unipole programme across ORR gateway positions at Hebbal, Silk Board and KR Puram, covering site permitting, structural installation and seasonal flex changes across the full campaign window.
2022 to present
Civic and municipal unipole inventory
Gateway and junction structures delivered under our BDA public-private partnership and the Hubli-Dharwad municipal tender, built and maintained to civic structural specification.
Unipole advertising in Bengaluru: frequently asked questions
What is a unipole?
A unipole is a large advertising face carried on a single central steel column, standing clear above street-level clutter. It is usually double-sided, with two faces back to back addressing both directions of travel from one structure.
What is the standard unipole size in Bengaluru?
40 ft × 20 ft per face is the standard, with the column height specified per site so the faces clear surrounding trees, buildings and signage. Height is set by the obstruction at that location rather than by a fixed standard.
Is a unipole better than a hoarding?
Only where the road geometry suits it. A unipole's advantages are height, clean sky background and two-directional coverage, and they need a long approach window to pay off. On a tight urban stretch with buildings close to the road, a well-sited hoarding will outperform it, and we say so rather than upselling the structure.
Can I book just one face of a unipole?
Sometimes, depending on the site and whether the other face is committed. Most unipole inventory is sold as a whole structure, since the two-directional coverage is the reason to buy the format in the first place.
How much does unipole advertising cost in Bengaluru?
Gateway and convergence positions are the premium tier, priced on combined flow from all approaches rather than a single traffic count. Duration is the biggest lever: unipoles are long-cycle inventory and annual commitments are substantially better value than short flights, which are often unavailable anyway.
How safe are unipole structures?
That depends entirely on the foundation and certification. A single column resolves the wind load of two large faces through one foundation, so foundation design and a current structural stability certificate from a licensed engineer are non-negotiable, and we re-verify them periodically over long campaigns.
Where are the best unipole sites in Bengaluru?
The city gateways: the ORR convergence points at Hebbal, Silk Board and KR Puram, the Bellary Road airport approach, and the Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road, Hosur Road and Old Madras Road entries. These are where traffic converges from several directions and the approach window is long enough for height to matter.
Planning a unipole campaign in Bengaluru?
Tell us the audience and the window. We will come back with sites, availability and an itemised quote.