According to Ocean Outdoor, full-motion DOOH primes campaigns to perform better when they are seen
Let’s get Digital
To put it simply, there is no understating the impact that digital signage has had, not just on the sign industry but also on the wider world. What would Piccadilly Circus be like without its now-iconic digital billboards? Would Times Square in New York still be a must-visit landmark if it was not covered with digital screens? And how many of us would miss our flights if we were to lose digital displays in airports?
Such is the flexibility and reach of digital signage, it can be used for all sorts of applications. The pages of SignLink, both in the printed magazine and online, are packed full of examples of digital screens being used in many innovative ways to spread information to consumers and raise awareness of products or services.
Here, we pick out some of the more stand-out examples that have caught our eye in recent weeks and months, celebrating the work not only of the brands behind these campaigns, but also the technology from the leading providers and digital signage specialists in the industry.
A Headline Act
One of the leading names in this sector is Ocean Outdoor, with a large network of digital sites across the UK. In mid-2023, Ocean Outdoor further extended its offering with the launch of Headliner, a cinematic out-of-home package giving agencies and advertisers the opportunity to deliver long-form creative on digital-out-of-home (DOOH).
Headliner accommodates 30-second domination spots across 14 large-format landscape screens in ten cities, simultaneously served on the hour every hour. According to Ocean Outdoor, this delivers close to 11 million impacts in key city centre, retail, and roadside locations over a week. As an added bonus, brands opting into the package can make use of Ocean’s 3D DeepScreen Alive interactive technology and experiential activations for audiences.
Ocean Outdoor’s Headliner accommodates 30-second domination spots
Going into further detail on Headliner, Ocean Outdoor says the package was developed in line with independent neuroscience-based studies, which demonstrate the priming power of large-format premium DOOH on static out-of-home and other media.
This research found full-motion DOOH is 2.5 times more impactful than static out-of-home (OOH) sites, as well as that full-motion DOOH primes campaigns to perform better when they are seen and that DOOH primes and optimises a brand’s social media strategy.
“We’ve always seen DOOH as the essential building block for any media plan and it’s a go-to medium for the luxury, entertainment, and film categories in particular,” Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Phil Hall says.
We’ve always seen DOOH as the essential building block for any media plan and it’s a go-to medium for the luxury, entertainment, and film categories in particular”
“Headliner takes this a step further by making it easier for brands to leverage their long-form cinema and TV ads in iconic, clutter-free DOOH environments which deliver unique cover and elusive younger audiences. This is a compelling offer for clients who want to make their campaigns relevant, work harder, and deliver the fame they are looking for.”
Winning with DOOH
As for campaign examples from Ocean Outdoor, 2023 saw the digital signage specialist work with all manner of
brands and organisations on thought-provoking projects. One that stood out in particular for both its message and interaction was a joint effort with TMW Unlimited and the Trussell Trust, alerting shoppers to the real-time needs of food banks in their area.
TMW Unlimited and the Trussell Trust were among the winners in the 2022 Ocean Outdoor Digital Creative Competition
The ‘Put It On Your List’ geo-targeted, DOOH campaign aimed to increase donation levels to food banks and also let people know the items that are needed most by the food banks in their local area, helping guide their donation choices and ensuring food banks got the items they required.
Displays on digital screens prompted shoppers to add these items to their shopping list and drop them off at supermarket collection points or scan an on-screen QR code to make a direct donation to their local food bank.
Brian Brady, creative director at TMW Unlimited, comments: “We’ve become so used to the presence of food banks that it’s easy to forget just how essential and ongoing those services are. We wanted to connect that need with local populations in a way that informs and surprises them into action. Digital OOH is a great way to tap into urgency and local pride, empowering people to solve real needs as they arise.”
The interactive campaign was made possible by winning first prize in the Charity category of Ocean Outdoor’s 2022 Digital Creative Competition, which came with a prize of £100,000 in free media. The competition has run for the past 14 years, with the winners split between commercial brands and charity work, all sharing £500,000 worth of airtime across multiple Ocean Outdoor locations.
As for the 2023 competition, Ocean Outdoor recently announced its winners. Brands such as EE and Moonpig were just some of those who scooped awards, alongside advertising partners including ACNE London and Creature London.
First prize in the brands category went to EE and creative agency Saatchi and Saatchi, which worked on the ‘Free Field Trips’ project. Using technology from The Loop network, children were able to take part in a World War II-themed interactive walking tour using mobile interactivity, haptics, and Augmented Reality.
AI Equation
Another leading name in this sector is Clear Channel, which, like Ocean Outdoor, has a large number of locations across the UK. One of the recent stand-out campaigns featuring Clear Channel centred on the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Working with biscuit brand Belvita, Clear Channel ran the ‘Give A Smile’ campaign across eight of its Malls Live interactive screens in shopping centres around the UK. Shoppers were invited to smile at the screens; as they did, images on the screens smiled back. Smiles registered were converted in donations made by Mondelez/Belvita to food partner charity, Fareshare UK.
Clear Channel and Belvita ran the ‘Give A Smile’ campaign across eight of its Malls Live interactive screens in shopping centres around the UK
Such was the impact of the campaign that it generated more than 10,000 smiles across two weeks.
“Everyone came together for this crossmedia campaign run by Publicis’ Spark Foundry,” Clear Channel says, adding: “The application worked seamlessly and had many people smiling in the office during the testing phase.
“Its success means that it may not be the last time you see this campaign and I’m looking forward for it to be back on Clear Channel screens soon.”
Also from Clear Channel was an interactive run in partnership with both Historic England and Photoworks. ‘Picturing High Streets – Bus Stop Stories’ invited passers-by to submit a photo of their favourite bus stop story by posting on Instagram using #PicturingHighStreets.
‘Picturing High Streets – Bus Stop Stories’ offered people the chance to have their pictures featured on digital screens across the country
A total of ten winning photographs were selected from the campaign and showcased on Clear Channel’s DOOH screens across England as part of a summer outdoor exhibition. The photographs were also entered into the Historic England Archive, the nation’s archive for England’s historic buildings, archaeology, and social history.
Martin Corke, chief marketing officer of Clear Channel, says: “Clear Channel proudly operates more than 20,000 bus shelters in the UK. In many ways bus shelters are the unsung heroes of our towns and cities yet they are the backdrop to many of our daily journeys and experiences.
“We believe that there are many positive and fascinating bus stop stories to be told and we are launching this competition to help uncover and celebrate them.”
Connect the Masses
Nodding towards a third name in the market, JCDecaux UK also runs a wide-ranging network of DOOH sites. Like Ocean Outdoor and Clear Channel, there are plenty of examples to refer to, but one that showcased the power and innovation of digital signage was a campaign that it ran in partnership with Manchester City Council.
The project focused on free Wi-Fi connectivity in the city, with consumers able to make use of 22 locations across Manchester. These were placed on JCDecaux UK’s existing network of Community Information Panels (CIP digital screens). CIPs were marked with a Wi-Fi symbol, with users simply selecting Manchester City Council Wi-Fi network on their personal devices and following prompts to connect. The CIP screens also carried a launch campaign to promote the free Wi-Fi service available to the public.
However, the innovation did not stop there. Motion sensors on the CIPs measured footfall and the direction of travel to determine audience levels and trends based on time of day, week, and month, with data helping to inform the City Council on proposed pedestrianisation projects across the city centre.
In addition, as part of an ongoing partnership with Greater Manchester Police, the CIPs were equipped to provide public service and critical incident messages across the city centre network.
“By bringing this digital connectivity to the city, everyone will have access to free Wi-Fi in the city centre which fits with our ambitions on digital inclusivity to ensure that no-one is left behind,” councillor Tracey Rawlins says.
“These advances in smart technology also mean that we are able to use the information it captures to help us improve future planning across a wide range of services, including data which can inform our future active travel plans and should we need it the capability to use the screens with essential messaging.”
These advances in smart technology also mean that we are able to use the information it captures to help us improve future planning across a wide range of services”
Phil Drye, chief commercial development officer at JCDecaux UK, adds: “We are proud to have enjoyed a 30-year partnership with the City of Manchester and are delighted to be working with Manchester City Council to deliver these technological innovations all funded by advertising, truly showcasing the power of the public screen.
JCDecaux UK altered digital signs in Manchester to feature free Wi-Fi stations and motion sensors
“This exciting, long-term partnership has enabled us to play our part in helping Manchester meet its Smart City and Sustainability goals, with innovation and technology supporting the city’s ambitions to increase digital inclusion and connectivity.”
Don’t Fear the Sphere
A round-up of innovation and developments within DOOH would not be complete without mention of the ‘Sphere’, a new digital installation that opened in Las Vegas, Nevada in the US last year. The structure is technically a venue for sports and events, with U2 currently playing a series of shows, but the exterior of the Sphere is just as impressive as the inside, given its incredible digital capabilities.
The Sphere is covered in 54,000sq m of LEDs, making it the largest LED wall in the world. A host of brands have already taken advantage of what is a huge marketing opportunity in one of the most exciting cities in the world. The structure also opened just in time for the first edition of the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix, with a series of innovative campaigns taking place over the race weekend.
Given some of the projects featured here, it is fair to say that the message from the digital signage sector is that there is plenty more to come. As brands continue to push developers, we are likely to see even more innovation from what is already an advanced market.
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