Empty shop window advertising for vacant units
We put a printed display on the window of an empty shop, office or warehouse, and the same businesses on the guest Wi‑Fi login page. People on the street see the glass. People nearby, including on the pavement, who join the guest Wi‑Fi see the login page before they get online. That page view is someone who chose to connect, not a phone that only detected the network, and not a banner on the open web. Owners get a frontage that looks looked-after. Local businesses get a high-street spot, free for independents.
Empty shop windows that work for the high street
An empty window can carry a real local advert, rather than brown paper, while you wait for a tenant. Owners want the unit to look looked-after. Local businesses want a high-street spot they can afford. This is that advert. It is not a rates product.
For property owners and managing agents
A dark void becomes an active shopfront. The unit stays lettable; viewings continue; agents still show the space. Pair Advertise with Connect (guest WiFi) and Protect (remote monitoring) on one install so the building is connected, advertised and watched until a tenant arrives. Owner offer →
For local businesses
Take the window and the portal without leasing the whole shop. Independents can use a free tier for high-street presence. Paid and featured placements are available for brands and agencies that want a street, a town or the network. Apply and campaign booking live on VacatAd Local. Apply on VacatAd Local →
What VacatAd runs on a vacant unit
A printed poster on the glass, and the same campaign on the login page people see before the guest Wi‑Fi lets them online. We design it, you approve it, and it comes off cleanly when the unit lets.
Printed shopfront display
We design, print and install a display on the glass of the empty unit. The frontage carries a working high-street message instead of brown paper and dust. Creative is approved with you before it goes in, and comes out cleanly when the void ends. Nothing is welded into the fabric of the building.
Guest WiFi portal placement
The same campaign can appear when people connect to free guest WiFi. Footfall on the pavement sees the window; people in the Wi‑Fi catchment who join a guest SSID hit the portal. One brief can feed both surfaces. Guest WiFi for vacant units →
Featured and paid placements
Beyond the free local tier, brands and agencies can book featured or paid campaigns on a street, a town or the network. Upgrades sit on top of the free independent tier. We do not publish invented prices here. Ask for a campaign brief on VacatAd Local.
How it works end to end
You brief us, we design it, then we install. The window and the login page stay live until the unit lets or the campaign ends. Owners and businesses use different forms. The thing on the unit is the same. We need power, access and your approval, then it goes up.
Owners: putting a unit forward
Send the address, confirm access, and keep your letting agent in the loop so viewings stay visible. Approvals stay with you as landlord or agent. We install so the unit stays fully lettable and the frontage looks worked rather than blighted.
Businesses: applying for a window
Apply via VacatAd Local. Supply your logo, offer and contact details. We design and place the creative on glass and portal. Independents start on the free tier where available; brands book paid or featured campaigns. Timelines depend on unit access and creative approval.
Live, then hand back
Window and portal run for the void or campaign. When the unit lets, creative and kit come out within days so the new tenant gets a clear unit. Local campaign creatives end with that hand-back or at the end of the booked campaign.
How this differs from vinyl-only or LED-only players
Vinyl only covers the glass. An LED screen needs power, mounting and a longer install, and it does not come out in two days when a tenant signs. A poster company sells paper on boards. We print a display for the empty window and put the same businesses on the free Wi‑Fi login page. If the owner also wants the unit watched, cameras and sensors go on the same router. Permission for other kinds of street media sits with the council and the official guidance. We do not invent a legal claim about that. Local independents can use the window and the portal for free. Brands book paid placements on VacatAd Local.
Connect and Protect alongside Advertise
Advertise is the live frontage. Connect and Protect sit beside it on the same vacant-unit install so owners can run all three without three separate suppliers.
Connect: guest WiFi in the void
Guest WiFi keeps the unit useful for viewings, contractors and passers-by. The captive portal is where Advertise rides on Connect. Guest WiFi for vacant units →
Protect: remote monitoring while empty
Monitoring watches the building while it is empty. Routers report in; optional cameras and sensors sit on the same install. Protect for owners →
Owners can take all three
Owners can run the Wi‑Fi, the advertising and the monitoring together. Local businesses still apply through VacatAd Local, free or paid. For property owners → · VacatAd Local →
Practical questions
Planning and landlord permission
Window displays inside a vacant unit are usually treated as part of the shopfront presentation. Landlord or managing agent approval is required for access and install. This is plain English, not legal advice. Ask us if your scheme has estate rules or consent conditions.
Damage and fabric
Nothing is fixed into the building fabric. Displays and kit are designed to come out cleanly when the unit lets. The void stays lettable while Advertise runs.
Hand-back when let
We remove Advertise creative and the Connect kit within days of a letting so the new tenant gets a clear unit. Campaign creatives for local businesses end with that hand-back or at the end of the booked campaign.
Who can advertise?
Owners activate a void by putting a unit forward. Local independents can take free window and portal placements where available. Brands and agencies book paid or featured campaigns. Both doors are above the fold on this page.
Is this a rates product?
No. Advertise is empty shop window advertising with a WiFi portal. Rates language stays secondary on owner pages. We do not invent savings percentages here.
Choose your door
Owners and agents start from the vacant unit on property owners. Local businesses start from VacatAd Local to apply for free or paid window and portal placements. Either way, Advertise is empty shop window advertising with a live WiFi portal, framed inside Connect / Advertise / Protect. Enquire as an owner with an address, or as an advertiser with a creative brief. We will tell you plainly what fits the unit and the street.