Interactive campaigns win at creative competition

Brands like EE and Moonpig are just some of the winners alongside advertising partners like ACNE London and Creature London at this year's Ocean Outdoor creative competition.

The competition which has run for the past 14 years celebrates the creativity and success of out-of home (OOH) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) activations, with particular emphasis on using technology available through Ocean Outdoor initiatives like Ocean Lab.

Winners are split between commercial brands and charity work and all share £500,000 worth of airtime across multiple Ocean Outdoor locations.

First prize in the brands category went to EE and its creative agency Saatchi and Saatchi which worked on the ‘Free Field Trips’ project.

Using technology from The Loop network school children are able to take part in an interactive walking tour using mobile interactivity, haptics, and AR to bring WW2 history to life.

The campaign was created to help children affected by the cost-of-living crisis and therefore attending less school trips and excursions.

The judges commented: “It’s very hard to find fault with this idea. Holding an OOH field trip across The Loop is a wholesome way to learn and an incredible use of OOH technology for educational purposes. It’s really scalable too. It gets students outside; it gets them moving and it’s very engaging.”

First prize in the charity category went to Stonewall Housing and its ‘Behind Closed Doors’ campaign which was brought to life with creative agency Mr. President.

The judges said: “This intriguing, impactful idea is incongruent for the High Street which is why it works. It’s a smart use of 6 sheets at audience eye level. This is where OOH works so well, for a charity that no one knows.”

The project was made due to the large statistics of LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing homelessness in their lifetime, largely due to family rejection.

Stonewall Housing created a campaign in which participants were invited to hear personal stories at doormats placed in front of digital screens which are turned into front doors.

Charity awards also went to campaigns from Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and The Hygiene Bank, a charity which seeks to tackle the growing need for hygiene and sanitary products by those affected by rising costs and challenges.

Ocean Outdoor UK chief executive officer, Phil Hall, says: “The nation’s narrative sits at the heart of this year’s competition winners who use the power and scale of out-of-home to tackle some extremely important issues. Their ideas harness the role and purpose of DOOH as a channel that truly supports and connects with the communities it serves.

“There’s not a single campaign here that won’t make people stop, think, listen, or act if they are in a position to do so. An admirable reflection of how far the DOOH medium, and Ocean’s competition, has come in the past 14 years.”

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