Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home
As we bookend Out \ Look for 2024, brands are going out with an impactful bang across the OOH landscape with innovative activations and special builds.
Guinness steps beyond the snow
Guinness has unveiled a festive standout on Parkgate Street with a projection special that brings the iconic Guinness Storehouse gates—blanketed in snow and flanked by footprints— to life. Reusing the gates constructed for the brand’s ‘Open the Gates’ campaign earlier this summer, the 3D build and snow effect bring a nostalgic, magical touch to commuters, Luas passengers on the Red Line, and those at nearby Heuston Station, ensuring Guinness remains unmissable and top of mind in the last week before Christmas.
Planned by PHD and Source out of home, the campaign brings to life creative currently running nationwide across a multitude of formats in roadside, retail and transit environments. Located at P. Duggan’s Bar and facing the city centre, the special 48 Sheet from JCDecaux leverages its prime placement near point of purchase, driving both emotional connection and festive relevance for audiences. As a regular feature of the Guinness Christmas campaign, the snowy gates have become a hallmark of the season, with many consumers associating it as a signal of the true arrival of Christmas.
The strategic location further maximises visibility during the festive period, when footfall surges across key Dublin commuter routes and hubs. Heuston Station alone sees significant increases in passengers during December, catering to both city-bound shoppers and travellers heading home for the holidays.
Rockshore Counts Down to St. Stephen’s Day with Dynamic DOOH
Rockshore is keeping anticipation high this festive season with a dynamic countdown to St. Stephen’s Day. Powered by LIVEPOSTER, the campaign features a real-time countdown and pub location callouts displayed on digital screens, ensuring the brand stays top of mind as we approach one of the most refreshing days of the year.
Planned by PHD and Source out of home, the dynamic DOOH highlights Rockshore’s ability to combine creative storytelling with timely relevance. Counting down the days to the 26th at the high-footfall St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre (pictured), the Green Screen leverages the strengths of digital OOH to deliver both immediacy and impact near points of purchase.
Meanwhile, outside bars across the capital, dynamically-enabled panels in close proximity are encouraging passers-by to drop in for a ‘sos beag’ over the Christmas.
As consumers immerse themselves in the hustle and bustle of the season, Rockshore’s countdown serves as a timely reminder to celebrate and unwind, reinforcing the brand’s festive presence in a playful and engaging way.
Flogas Plays the Long Game
Much like the brand’s energy offerings, Flogas has expanded its innovation on OOH campaign with a 240 Sheet lighting special in Terenure, keeping the brand quite literally in the spotlight. Reinforcing the brand’s broad energy offering—Gas, Electricity, Solar, and EV Charging— the lighting is drawing the attention of OOH consumers through visually impactful and creative messaging.
Planned by Source out of home, the campaign this latest addition builds on the brand’s campaign which has been running over the past few weeks. At Pearse Station the brand’s tunnel ‘extension’ special continues to display to the thousands commuting on a daily basis, with the Terenure lighting forming a high-impact centrepiece. Illuminated to ensure standout visibility both day and night, it extends Flogas’ playful and clever tone—using its own name as a branding hook—while showcasing how OOH can deliver standout executions at scale.
With 44% of consumers considering switching energy providers as they enter 2025, Flogas’ focus on value resonates strongly. By promoting a €300 welcome bonus and 24% discount on Dual Fuel, the campaign delivers a clear and compelling proposition to households seeking reliable energy solutions this winter.
Mufasa brings the African Plains to Life
Dublin’s Connolly Station has had its tunnel taken over by the Savannah skyline for the release of Disney’s latest release, Mufasa: The Lion King.
Planned by Zenith and Source out of home, the special sound-enabled tunnel features the titular Lion King to-be looking out of the tunnel’s entranceways set against the franchise’s iconic sunset backdrop complete with a look at Pride Rock just out of focus in the background.
The special wrap is part of a broader campaign featured across roadside, transit and retail environments with an extensive list of formats including T-Sides, Digital Galleries, DXScreens, Digital Bridges and the Green Screen.
Specials are a fun, innovative, and effective means of generating brand recall. Our Special Effects study highlights the hugely positive impact that specials have in terms of noticeability, brand perception, and activation. Three quarters of people believe specials make a brand seem exciting while 84% agree that specials are more noticeable than standard poster ads.
Additionally, as noted in our IMPACT Attention study, non-conventional executions like those mentioned above are proven attention drivers, with 85% of respondents finding them effective for brand recall. The campaign also aligns with findings from PML Group’s Special Effects study, where 78% of audiences agreed that specials make a brand seem innovative, and 68% were likely to tell others about specials they’ve seen.
Catch you in January for the first issue of Out \ Look 2025!
