Marketing the London Eye

Built to mark the turn of a new millennium, the London Eye has lived on and on to become one of the city's most popular attractions. It's a highly visible symbol of London, often featured in movies, TV shows and tourism materials because it's so distinctive and instantly identifiable by a global audience.

Before it opened, some critics believed that the London Eye would be a 'white elephant' and others appreciated the unique design. In fact, the design has inspired other projects, such as a new attraction on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that will allow passengers a completely different view of their surroundings (see below).

British Airways was the London Eye's original sponsor. Merlin Entertainments operates the London Eye, and in 2011 it set up a three-year sponsorship with the French utility EDF Energy. Now the EDF Energy London Eye is being marketed online, through special mobile apps, occasional ticket giveaways, outreach to travel marketers, e-mail newsletters, special bundled pricing with other attractions and promotions with other brands.

Stay in touch with the London Eye on its Facebook page (336,000 likes), Twitter account (12,000 followers) or its Flickr page (175,000 uploads tagged for the London Eye).