Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home.
Extraordinary OOH in 2022
This year, PML Group planned ground-breaking, innovative OOH special builds all over the country and to end the year in Out \ Look, today we look back on some of that inspiring work from the past twelve months.
2022 was a year for brands to recalibrate and redevelop their narratives – to tell their stories and create a ‘buzz’ about themselves, ensuring they were top of mind when it came to their respective audiences.
As a visual medium, Out of Home presents a unique storytelling vehicle that can be extremely effective when planned without creative restriction. Our Special Effects research proved this, showing that 84% of consumers regard special builds as being more noticeable, and 75% noting they make brands seem more exciting.
In 2022, OOH played a big role in translating innovative campaigns from concept to creation. Campaign touchpoints evoked the essence of brand storytelling in ways that left consumers with both an understanding of the message and enough curiosity to leave them wanting to know more.
Using outside-the-box, blue-sky concepts, brands were able to innovate in ways that encouraged audiences to engage and connect with them on another level.
To the (Touch) Point
Paddy Power’s inaugral sponsorship of the Iveagh Gardens Comedy Festival was well-aligned with their signature tongue-in-cheek tone. In close proximity to the festival, a special bus shelter encouraged participants to replace the pants that had been ‘laughed off’ at the festival, dispensing them a fresh, Paddy Power-emblazoned set for their home journey.
By following the bookmaker’s Twitter account, passers-by and those en route to the festival were able to get their pants by tweeting the hashtag #paddypantsplease. The activation was a prime example of the synergies of mobile and OOH and how they can effectively combine.
One of the most impactful touchpoints came from the Marie Keating Foundation. The unique bus shelter broke the mould when it came to interactive OOH with the widely-discussed ‘First Poster To Catch Lung Cancer’.
Featuring proximity-triggering based on vicinitic audio cues, the copy would change at the sound of a cough to display a second creative encouraging viewers to get it checked out.
The installation showed the efficacy of coalescing great concepts with unhindered creativity, raising awareness for an important issue in an effective manner.
When Grafton Street was identified as the destination for Ireland’s first LEGO store, an Out of Home creation like no other was put on display at the Golden Square on Dublin’s Wexford Street. Crafted by brick.ie – Ireland’s largest and longest-established LEGO user group – the ‘poster’ consisted entirely of LEGO pieces assembled as a mosaic-style creative.
This unique build was the first of its kind in Ireland and emphasised that there are countless ways to integrate creativity and Out of Home planning. It also reinforced the notion that outdoor advertising and mobile continue to exponentially grow together as complimentary media, with the creative bearing a sizable QR code that sent scanners to the landing page for the new store.
Out of the Ordinary
In 2022, discourse surrounding attention as a metric was amplified. For OOH, breaking the expectation of the consumer by incorporating non-standard elements has the propensity to drive increased attentiveness. By virtue of appearing different to what they know and expect, these specials provoked higher interest and recall.
Breaking the rules of the standard 48 Sheet, Irish Life’s Rathgar Road solar-powered illumination special reinforced the messaging behind their ‘Responsible Pensions’ campaign and was visible even when the sky darkened, featuring a glowing façade of the earth above open hands to emphasise the campaign’s tenets.
Disney+ also fully embraced out of the ordinary looks across Out of Home in 2022.
Breaking new ground in the Irish market with the launch of Turning Red, the streaming service was the first brand to avail of Amplify – Global’s platform for 3D digital Outdoor content. Displaying on Global’s dX screen in Dundrum Town Centre, the creative introduced the movie’s character Mei Lee, who “poofed” into a giant red panda when she got excited, making it perfect for the larger-than-life 3D treatment.
Later in the year, to mark Disney+ day, the brand took advantage of the increasing footfall inn the city centre as they enveloped Dublin’s Convention Centre in an all-encompassing projection. Featuring popular characters from titles across the service including Thor: Love and Thunder, Cars on the Road, and Mike, the projection lit up the sky with the brand’s signature blue pantones as onlookers gazed up.
Experience Something Unique
PML Group’s All Out Summer research showed that 2022 was a year where people were ready to embrace experiences and make the most of what the season had to offer. With high percentages of people declaring their intent to return to attending sports events & concerts, as well as noting eagerness to visit beaches and recreational parks, an experiential opportunity presented itself for brands willing to take advantage it.
Looking back at McDonald’s OOH activity in 2022, the ‘McVan’ experiential activation was a standout campaign from the brand. A collaborative effort between Zenith, Source out of home and Allied Global Marketing, the McVan mobilised McDonald’s McCafé and was present at many festivals and events from April onwards, distributing thousands of free coffees along the way. It’s a campaign that should excite anyone with an interest in OOH, not only for its individual excellence, but also for what this indicates for the sector as we move into 2023.
Delightfully Digital
Crafting contextually relevant, location-specific designs is at the heart of PML Group’s DOOH offering. Through the Liveposter platform, advertisers optimised their 2022 campaigns by delivering contextually relevant content across multiple formats, using data and ambient triggers.
Using location data was particularly effective for Diageo’s recent Guinness Storehouse Dynamic campaign. Displaying across digital 6’s within a 30-minute walking radius of the venue, the creative prompted potential visitors with details as to how long of a stroll they were from Storehouse.
Looking Ahead
2022 reinforced the power of Out of Home, and brands that leveraged the ‘difference of being different’ realised the big, iconic & powerful storytelling prowess at a more flexible scale than ever before by providing lasting impressions on their audiences. 2023 carries with it a host of opportunities for brands to get creative and innovative with Outdoor advertising. For more information, contact the PML Group team.
