Powerful messages
With people now able to roam freely once again following the removal of almost all Covid-19 restrictions, 2022 will be remembered as the year when we returned to normal. Be it going into town to do some clothes shopping, popping to the supermarket for a loaf of bread, or even jetting off for some summer sun, being out and about again has been lovely.
The return to normal routines meant millions, if not billions, more pairs of eyes were looking towards the many out-of-home (OOH) applications and campaigns that were rolled out this year. In fact, one might go as far as to say that 2022 was one of the most important years ever for OOH, with the return of people to the high street, airports, and other environments giving brands and retailers the chance to make a big impression.
With this, SignLink casts an eye back over the past 12 months and highlights some of the OOH campaigns that captured the imagination of consumers and showcased the power of this medium.
Worthy causes
Digital signage and other OOH media offer brands, retailers, charities, and other groups the opportunity to connect with consumers from all sorts of backgrounds, and deliver messages that can have a real impact. This was certainly the case with Heinz when it teamed up with Ocean Outdoor and the Magic Breakfast charity on an interactive OOH campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing fight against child hunger in the UK.
The Heinz campaign ran for seven days in February across nine interactive digital screens in the UK
The campaign utilised Ocean Outdoor’s LookOut technology to demonstrate how hard it is for children to focus when they go to school hungry. As passers-by approached the screens, they were able to clearly read the sentence ‘It’s harder for children to focus when they’re hungry’. However, the longer they stared, the sentence became more difficult to read, with some letters losing focus and developing a life of their own through animation.
Screens then asked people to donate £5 by text to Magic Breakfast, which provides one child with almost a month’s worth of ‘magic’ breakfasts and help the estimated 1.7 million children at risk of starting the day hungry. Heinz also committed to matching all donations received by text in the week of the campaign to raise vital funds for Magic Breakfast.
Lucy Cooke, brand manager at Heinz Beanz, says: “It’s more important now than ever before that we continue our fight against child hunger with our brilliant partners Magic Breakfast. As families up and down the country face increasing financial pressure, we hope that our immersive campaign will raise further awareness of the issue of child hunger and encourage widespread donations to a vital cause.
“At Heinz, we strongly believe that no child should be too hungry to learn, that’s why we’ve already pledged more than 16 million meals to help those at risk of going to school hungry.”
Lindsey Macdonald, chief executive of Magic Breakfast, adds: “There’s still a lot to be done to raise awareness of the scale and impact of child hunger in this country, especially the effect hunger can have on a child’s learning which has long-term consequences on that child’s life.
“Magic Breakfast supports children living nearby to all nine of the billboards’ locations so this is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the issue in those communities.”
Important messages
Ocean Outdoor was also involved in a campaign for this year’s World Mental Health Day, using its screens to promote messages about the importance of mental health. Another OOH specialist that supported the initiative was media owner Landsec, which teamed up with wellbeing app Calm on a special campaign at the famous Piccadilly Lights site in London.
O Factoid: Piccadilly Lights on London stretches across a single 783.5sq m screen with a resolution 1.4 times greater than 4K, making it the largest advertising display in Europe O
Calm worked with Landsec to create a ten-minute broadcast, shown on October 10th at 8am and 8pm, offering advice on dealing with difficult and negative emotions. The message from Jay Shetty, author and chief purpose officer at Calm, included a QR code that links to his podcast ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty’, with the featured episode, being based on a conversation with clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith.
“I believe we all need to feel seen, heard, and understood but often struggle to find a safe space to do so.” Shetty says, adding: “I took to the streets hoping that we could provide that outlet for people by having real, open, honest, and vulnerable conversations with no judgment.
“It was truly an honour to share these moments with the people I met. We cried, we laughed, I listened, and I learned. I hope this encourages more people to start conversations at home, in the workplace and amongst friends.”
Derek Manns, commercial media director at Landsec, adds: “Piccadilly Lights has an important role to play in bringing attention to important issues. With one in four people struggling with their mental health we hope that sharing Jay’s message with the public will spark conversations and help people who are struggling to feel seen.”
This support for mental health stretched to Mental Health Awareness Week, with Land Rover and Ocean Outdoor using the latter’s digital screens at both Westfield retail and leisure centres in London to broadcast live scenes from nature, creating windows into green spaces that Land Rover says are closer than consumers think.
Land Rover and Ocean Outdoor used images and sounds to support a campaign for Mental Health Awareness Week
A directional sound shower also played natural sounds of a running stream, while a QR code directed passers-by to an interactive map showing where they could find the actual stream or other green spaces near them.
Such was the success of the campaign that it won first prize in Ocean Outdoor’s annual digital creative competition, receiving £100,000 of free media.
Helen Haines, head of marketing and events at Ocean Outdoor, comments: “Our competition judges liked the insight and the tie into mental wellbeing. This campaign encourages local engagement but in a way that isn’t overtly selling. It’s a simple, effective concept with an important message.”
Start spreading the news
Away from charity-focused work and OOH specialist Kinetic launched a special, data-driven campaign in partnership with Times Radio. This focused on targeting people with an interest in news and current affairs such as the vote of confidence in then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the engulfing ‘Partygate’ scandal, and the local May elections
By using Kinetic’s global programmatic OOH platform ‘Sightline’, users were able to see the biggest breaking news stories as they happen. Working in conjunction with DOOH.com and mSix&Partners, Times Radio was able to generate campaigns on digital 48 sheets in a number of cities across the UK, with news going live within eight hours of it taking place.
Kinetic partnered with Times Radio to use OOH to target people with an interest in news and current affairs
Alys Donnelly, head of programmatic at Kinetic, says: “It’s great to be able to show the true extent of OOH’s abilities for a brand that absolutely relies on demonstrating its ability to keep on top of consumer interest and breaking news.”
It’s great to be able to show the true extent of OOH’s abilities for a brand that absolutely relies on demonstrating its ability to keep on top of consumer interest and breaking news”
Kinetic utilised programmatic OOH and dynamic creative to allow Times Radio to spark the debate and be the provider for key audiences when breaking news that needs reporting. In addition, experts at Kinetic were able to assist with Times Radio and its ethical reporting and regulations, including alcoholic drinks being present in the Partygate photographs, which could have been in violation of alcohol advertising regulations if left unnoticed.
Louise Agran, marketing director for Times Radio, adds: “To show people that Times Radio is the live news station from The Times, we were looking for ways to be reactive to the news agenda. We were delighted to find this solution which allows us to be creative, responsible, and flexible.”
Paying tribute
A look back at meaningful campaigns from the last year would not be complete without highlighting those that celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who sadly passed away in September. In the immediate aftermath of her death, Ocean Outdoor and the majority of OOH and digital out-of-home (DOOH) operators recognised the historic passing by switching off advertising on digital screens throughout the UK.
Ocean Outdoor lit a network of digital beacons to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee
Screens owned by leading brands such as JCDecaux, Clear Channel, and Ocean Outdoor displayed images of the Queen to remember her life and allow the public to share in the historic moment, as Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest serving monarch.
Ocean Outdoor displayed the imagery on the day of the Queen’s funeral with all advertising paused for 24 hours.
In a statement the company said: “OOH is a public medium; we are integrated into the communities of the towns and cities of the UK, and it is right that we use our reach to pay tribute to an extraordinary reign.”
Tributes to the late monarch were also paid around the world on billboards, LED screens, and landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, and The Empire State Building. The Eiffel Tower switched off all its lights on September 8th while The Empire State Building switched its famous lighting pattern to royal purple and gold.
Earlier in the year and both OOH and DOOH were utilised to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. One campaign that literally shone out was Ocean Outdoor’s effort to form a chain of virtual beacons across the UK, which ran alongside more than 3,500 actual beacons being lit to mark her 70 years on the throne.
Ocean Outdoor’s virtual beacon was shown on locations in Edinburgh, Manchester, and Southampton, connecting ten cities via Ocean’s city centre and roadside network.
Meanwhile, advertisements from the likes of John Lewis, McDonalds, and Innocent also ran on DOOH screens, in collaboration with companies such as Talon and creative agency adam&eveDDB.
McDonalds ran adverts with the altered slogan “one’s lovin’ it” while Innocent offered a guide to the Jubilee, suggesting only triangle sandwiches are acceptable at celebrations, as squares “will not be tolerated”.
On the last night of the Jubilee weekend Ocean’s city screens displayed photographs from the People’s Platinum Pageant, which ran through the streets of London, including the Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace.
Photos included the Queen’s golden coach as well as community groups and respected celebrities as they made their way to the big finale at Buckingham Palace.
Ocean started a countdown to the Jubilee on May 27th and carried highlights in the days following celebrations across its various screens.
These are just a handful of the many creative OOH campaigns that have taken place over the past 12 months, with thousands to choose from. The value of OOH, be it printed or digital, is being able to ensure a message reaches so many people in busy locations. If 2022 is anything to go by, we can expect plenty more innovative, eye-catching, and thought-provoking campaigns in 2023 and beyond.
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