Outdoor advertising still remains as one of the most creative and entertaining ways of capturing a person’s attention in today’s modern world. Although digital advertising may be the go-to for brand advertising agencies, there is nothing that compares to a cleverly thought out OOH campaign.
OOH Produces Some Of The Most Clever Ads
Advertisers are constantly on the hunt for an attention-grabbing idea that will make a lasting impression. Whether through humor or using the shock factor, out-of-home advertising has never failed in producing some of the most clever advertisements on the market.
1. Consonant Skincare – Re skinning
Earlier this year, Canadian skincare brand Consonant Skincare launched their Re skinning campaign in anticipation of the opening of its third brick-and-mortar store.
Consonant Skincare’s Reskinning campaign on Queen Street West, Toronto
Collaborating with Zulu Alpha Kho, they transformed the area outside its flagship store in Toronto into an OOH ad experience that embraced the beauty of imperfection. The campaign featured a series of posters that were located on various walls and sidewalks throughout the area with tag lines such as “If your skin feels like this…” highlighting the many skin conditions that the brand’s products treat.
Consonant Skincare’s Reskinning campaign
2. Google – Make Google Do It
Google’s Make Google Do It digital OOH campaign launched in London, UK
After launching in the US, Google extended it’s clever digital out-of-home Make Google Do It campaign to the UK. This campaign promoted how Google Assistant’s abilities allow it to help in everyday situations.
Created by R/GA London, the campaign used billboards and posters to highlight the versatility of Google Assistant in carrying out everyday tasks such as ‘Set my alarm’ and carrying out Q&A based functions, especially in terms of location-based relevance such as ‘Can’t find the mythical Shore-ditch cash points?’.
3. Playland – Too Much Fun
Rethink’s Too Much Fun campaign for Playland theme park wanted to communicate how much of a fun experience a visitor is left with after visiting the park. To do this, they used the universal language of fun….emojis.
Playland’s Too Much Fun campaign
A series of printed posters, decals and stunt billboards were used to depict visitors enjoying themselves at the park such as crying ‘thumb up’ emojis. This very clever campaign was effective in capturing the attention of a social media and digital obsessed society and engaging with them in an offline setting.
4. Red Cross – The Billboard Always Says Yes
Red Cross’ The Billboard Always Says Yes campaign in Spain
The Spanish Red Cross and Labstore worked together on this digital outdoor advertising campaign in Madrid, Spain. This DOOH campaign aimed to give those less fortunate, who don’t have access to digital resources, a tool to help them fight poverty.
Digital outdoor billboards were turned into a free to use digital device that “always says yes” to those looking for help.
5. Burger King – Fire Truck
&Partner agency worked alongside Burger King to bring their Fire Truck campaign to life on the streets of Copenhagen. The campaign aimed at raising brand awareness of the major food franchise in the Danish capital.
Burger King’s branded ‘Fire Truck’ bus wrap in Copenhagen, Denmark
As flame-grilling is part of Burger King’s DNA, they thought that there was no better way of communicating this than having their very own fire truck. Inspired by the fire trucks of New York city, &Partner created an eye-catching outdoor branded advertising experience by combining the originality of the Burger King brand with the connotations of a fire truck.
6. Beefeater – Pink
Beefeater’s Pink campaign featured in Oxford underground station
For the release of Beefeater’s strawberry infused pink gin in London, they partnered with Impero to create a sensory branded advertising experience for commuters.
They installed strawberry scented posters throughout Oxford underground subway. The posters were featured throughout four different exit corridors in Oxford station and also included a vinyl wrapped escalator.
This campaign took branded advertising to another level by creating a playful and fresh OOH experience for potential customers that left a lasting impression on them, both visually and physically.
7. Ikea – Don’t Miss The Summer
Ikea and DDB came together to create this original and unique Don’t Miss The Summer campaign for their Belgium customers.
Ikea’s Belgian Don’t Miss The Summer OOH campaign
Due to the fact that the summer weather can often pass by quickly in Belgium, they wanted this campaign to focus on grabbing the opportunity to enjoy the sun while you can. Using a series of graphic posters, DDB combined the dull imagery of a rainy Belgian sky with a bright strip of summer.
Ikea effectively highlighted the importance of enjoying summer while it lasts in this creative out-of-home advertising campaign.
8. McDonald’s – Weather Reactive
McDonald’s Weather Reactive campaign in the UK
McDonald’s Weather Reactive campaign in the UK combined real-time weather data from the MET Office and icons from the McDonald’s menu to create this humorous OOH ad experience.
Bringing the UK’s unpredictable weather to life, they turned the McDonald’s menu into a live temperature gauge and 5 day weather forecast. With an upside down box of fries indicating rain and an unwrapped burger indicating sunshine, this campaign combined the brand’s playful personality and contextual events.
9. Netflix – Netflix Is A Joke
Netflix are known for their guerilla style of outdoor advertising and their campaign Netflix Is A Joke certainly lived up to expectations.
Netflix’s Netflix Is A Joke campaign in September 2017
In the weeks leading up to the Emmy awards in 2017, mysterious billboards with the words ‘Netflix Is A Joke’ started appearing around Los Angeles. All was later revealed during the awards ceremony, when Netflix debuted their tv advertisement taking old clips from Netflix Original shows and including new footage of comedians such as Dave Chappelle and Ellen Degeneres.
This highly entertaining campaign combined OOH billboards and tv ads in a humorous way to promote their new comedy show lineup and undoubtedly, drive users to their streaming service.
10. Postmates – We Get It
Postmates’ We Get It campaign promoting their on-demand delivery service
Launched in LA, Postmates’ We Get It campaign cleverly used humour and location based relevance in their outdoor media campaign to nod to the growing on-demand ‘anything’ trend featured heavily in today’s society.
Inspired by some of Postmates’ 2017 order trends from Los Angeles, this campaign brought to life the greatness of an ‘on-demand’ service that can deliver anything, at any time. Featuring OOH billboards, bus shelters and posters they included some original tag lines such as ‘When the breakup was bad, but only 360 calories bad. Halo Top. We get it.’
OOH Is Ripe With Creativity
Year after year, brands all across the world have provided us with some truly inspirational advertising campaigns. There is no doubt about it, OOH advertising is ripe with creativity.
