Some recent eye-catching campaigns looking OOH so great…
Digipole, JD Sports
Bus Shelter Wrap, Pepsi MAX
Digi48, Snap
Digipanel, Today FM
Première, Virgin Media
240 Sheet billboard, Kia
Digital Retail, Tourism Northern Ireland
A look at recent OOH activity including trends on OOH formats, product categories and/or new product launches…
St. Patrick’s Festival kicks off a bumper year for tourism
The annual St. Patrick’s Day festival kicked off what is anticipated to be a bumper year for tourism. The parade through Dublin City Centre drew large crowds once more and this, coupled with Ireland’s Grand Slam win at the Guinness 6 nations, meant the city was painted green and abuzz throughout the entire weekend.
Large crowds bring increased mobility where brands can easily reach a captive audience in Dublin with the right messaging at the right time and place. According to DublinTown, just over half a million footfall movements were recorded in the city on St. Patrick’s Day; an increase of 6% on the same day in 2022. And footfall for that week reached 2.5 million, the second highest of the year so far. Luas passenger journeys were up by 62% YOY for the same period.
Out-of-Home advertising cannot be blocked, skipped or missed which, unlike other mediums, provides it with a unique ability to capture attention. Digital OOH brings clients flexibility to target audiences at the relevant moment and in the right mindset with a contextually relevant message, focusing investment where and when it has most impact. During the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, brands capitalised on the power of OOH where context is key.
Looking to the summer, with the clocks springing forward and longer, brighter evenings, people begin to think about planning activities and holidays. According to Core, 69% of people are looking forward to new experiences this summer with the vast majority of those activities being outdoor related. With this in mind, advertisers have ample opportunity to reach and influence consumers on their purchasing journeys when out of home.
Source: Tourism Ireland, DublinTown, TII, Core
A close up on…Innovation
Out of Home has the unique potential to amplify a brand’s message by physically changing the media space through innovation. Whether that’s special builds, special lighting, creative print techniques or one off installations, outdoor innovation constantly pushes the boundaries of our imagination, transforming the space from a billboard or a bus shelter into something more. Last year we saw a live art installation on a 48 sheet billboard, multiple special builds with lighting that seemed to burst out of billboards, solar powered lighting techniques, bespoke frames and more. The impact that a special can add to an OOH campaign is undeniable.
Here are the Innovative highlights that ran on JCDecaux formats in 2022...
OOH Campaigns from around the world…
New Zealand – McDonald’s
The recent campaign from McDonald’s via DDB Group Aotearoa, celebrates the silly season and gently reminded New Zealander’s to end their night with a McDonald’s!
Using targeted and time-based media placements the out-of-home assets lit up the dark with the orders a person might make on their way home – exposing that stage of the night when an order for a Cheeseburger Combo turns into a “Cheebs Urga Condo” or McNuggets comes out as “Nickin ChicMuggets.”
Luke Rive, McDonald’s Director of Marketing in New Zealand said: “Whether it’s Ubering through Drive Thru, in restaurant or a take-away to eat on the long walk home, Kiwi’s can rely on Maccas as being well versed at speaking late-night.”
Further campaign information can be found here.
USA – Heinz
Heinz used iconic 57 to demystify the Super Bowl’s confusing Roman numerals.
The famous ketchup brand and Rethink launched the 'LVII Meanz 57' campaign to uplift fans and set the record straight. Ahead of this year’s Super Bowl, HEINZ aimed to provide clarity amidst the confusion with its iconic 57. They asked viewers to drop the Roman numerals and call the Super Bowl what it really is: 57, and not 'LVII’.
Last year, fans took to social media during the Super Bowl to share their frustration and confusion over the use of Roman numerals. To help these passionate fans have their voices heard, Heinz launched a website where people could vote on whether the time has finally come to retire the Roman numerals. Heinz also encouraged fans to share their thoughts on social media using #LVIIMeanz57.
Further campaign information can be found here.
UK – ITV
ITV used melting billboard and station domination to promote the launch of ‘A Year on Planet Earth’.
ITV kicked off the promotion of its new natural history series, ‘A Year on Planet Earth’ with a OOH campaign featuring a melting billboard. The frozen billboard appeared in London during January. It gradually thawed to reveal a spring scene reflecting the changing seasons represented in the show. In addition, a ‘takeover’ at Liverpool’s Lime Street Station saw vinyl wraps and ambient formats dominate the station concourse and platforms.
The national campaign used Met Office data to dynamically trigger creative on roadside digital formats with location-specific creative depending on the weather conditions at the individual screens.
Further campaign information can be found here.