Standout Out of Home Campaigns in 2024
We’re back for the fifth edition of our annual end-of-year wrap up!
We’re celebrating the campaigns and accomplishments of 2024 and will be sharing our expectations for Out of Home (OOH) and the wider landscape in the new year.
UK OOH revenue for the first half of 2024 totalled £646m, an increase of +17% year-on-year (Outsmart). This is the strongest H1 since records began. Q3 2024 advertising revenue was up +12% year-on-year.
We’re predicting OOH will grow +9% to £1.41bn in 2024 and +7% to £1.51bn in 2025. For 2025, we estimate that digital OOH will account for 68% of overall OOH revenues, totaling £1.02bn.
In this blog, we’re reflecting on some of the standout OOH campaigns in 2024 from our clients this year that reimagined and re-invented the possibilities of what OOH can be.
Some of the Team’s Standout OOH Campaigns in 2024
All the campaigns below showcase the best in “thinking outside” in 2024 – exemplifying independent thought and big ideas, supported by Talon’s technology, data and effectiveness expertise.
Specsavers: Should’ve Gone to Specsavers
For Grand Visual’s Managing Director, Jay Young, Talon UK’s Head of Planning Operations, Jamie Finn, and Head of Client, Mike Huckerby, the activation for Specsavers stood out to them the most.
“For me, the Specsavers van stunt was a true standout campaign in 2024,” said Jay. “Our team concepted and produced an installation where a Specsavers-branded van appeared ‘stuck’ on a pillar, creating a humorous, memorable moment that instantly connected with the nation.
The simplicity of the concept was its strength—anyone who saw it instantly understood the brand message and appreciated the clever play on Specsavers’ iconic tagline – “Should’ve gone to Specsavers.”
This campaign was especially rewarding for us as it combined a highly visual stunt with precise execution. There’s always a logistical challenge in taking such a bold idea into the real world, but the team managed it seamlessly. The campaign sparked plenty of social media buzz, UK news coverage and was even discussed by the This Morning hosts on ITV.
For me, it perfectly exemplified how an OOH activation can capture attention and entertain while staying true to the brand’s identity. It was a proud moment for Grand Visual, and it showed just how impactful well-executed simplicity can be.”
“I think it has to be the brilliant Specsavers van campaign,” said Jamie. “This was a pure masterpiece from the fantastic team at Grand Visual to create such a notable stunt in the city centre of Edinburgh.
It’s one of those rare campaigns that gathers global attention for being so simple but brilliant, and these don’t come around very often. For me this is an example of an OOH execution that will be heralded as the gold standard, with many other clients in years to come asking for a ‘Specsavers’ campaign.”
“It has to be Specsavers,” Mike added. “The perfect example of using OOH as one big canvas to play with. A campaign that not only created a huge impact on the location itself, but through all of the PR and online buzz that came after.”
PepsiCo: Quaker, Pepsi MAX & Rockstar
“PepsiCo’s immersive experiences stood out this year,” said Ben Gardiner, Head of Client Services at Grand Visual. “We’ve seen several of its brands – including Pepsi MAX, Quaker and Rockstar – push the boundaries of OOH to create long-lasting, memorable moments with real people.
From thermal imaging and dynamic copy for Quaker Oats, a festival-touring glambot for Rockstar, and laser projected football pitches for Pepsi MAX – PepsiCo’s refreshing approach to getting hands on its brands is impressive and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the New Year.”
Habitat: 60th Anniversary
To celebrate 60 years of design, Habitat unveiled an exclusive collection inspired by its heritage with new, reimagined classics. Habitat would showcase the new range and make a bold statement with a series of elevated murals.
Choosing this campaign as one of his standout’s in 2024, Luke Willbourn, Managing Director UK, said, “The Habitat campaign stood out to me the most this year. The creative was nostalgic yet modern, subtle yet incredibly impactful. OOH is unmatched when it comes to providing brands with a canvas, where any idea can become a reality. Shoutout to the PHD team for this one!”
Versace Icons: Times Square Takeover
Across the pond, Patrick Murray, VP Marketing at Talon US, chose this impressive takeover for Versace. “The Versace Icons Times Square takeover featuring Cillian Murphy and Anne Hathaway stands out,” said Patrick.
“Any campaign that takes shape in the bright lights of Times Square is a showstopper, but dominating the iconic landmark with a full takeover is incredible. Kudos to the team for delivering a complex, but spectacular campaign.”
Unilever: Comfort Scent Boosters
“It has to be Comfort for me,” said Aoife Hudson, Deputy Managing Director at Talon Ireland. “To promote its new range of laundry scent boosters, Comfort launched a multi environment OOH campaign across various platforms to maximise audience engagement. The campaign featured two standout creative executions.
In one, a bus shelter was transformed with vibrant pink, yellow, and blue flowers, reflecting the available scents. This installation also included interactive buttons on the 6-sheet panel, allowing consumers to sample the fragrances directly.
The second execution took a non-traditional approach by collaborating with the iconic flower vendors of Dublin’ Grafton Street. Their displays were reimagined with blooms in shades of blue, pink, and yellow, mirroring the product range. This campaign stands out to me as it demonstrates how OOH is pushing through the boundaries of the classic formats and proves that creativity is not just a ‘nice to have’, it delivers on driving engagement.”
The Singleton: Gardens of Abundance Collection
Choosing this multi-format campaign for The Singleton as her standout of the year, Talon APAC’s Managing Director, Melanie Lindquist, said, “This was one of the first anamorphic campaigns at Singapore’s Changi Airport.”
“The stunningly beautiful eye-catching creative with immersive 3D in proximity to Duty Free and interactive zones was incredibly impactful. The use of totems and larger format digital screens across multiple terminals created touchpoints for millions of Duty-Free buyers.”
Allwyn: Lotto Launch
“It has to be Allwyn for me,” said Dilki Weerakoon, Head of Client Strategy UK. “The launch campaign and work after that has been unmissable. The excitement of buying a lottery ticket is captured perfectly across each OOH creative, special build or experiential event. A great win for our friends at Hearts&Science.”
PepsiCo: Havoc Launch
Over in Canada, the launch of PepsiCo’s new snack brand “Havoc” stood out to Managing Director, Daniel Mak, the most: “The campaign was massive in Canada and featured eye-catching creative that looked fantastic on every product. This big budget, mega launch blanketed the Canadian landscape and was such a success that a follow up campaign had to be delayed due to the product selling out.”
British Heart Foundation: ‘Til I Died
Head of Effectiveness, Emily Alcorn, chose this moving campaign from the British Heart Foundation as her standout campaign.
“The England ’til I Died campaign exemplified the power of OOH at its finest – delivering a thought-provoking and impactful message,” said Emily. “The BHF leveraged a trusted and impactful medium to raise awareness of a critical issue, strategically aligning with a major sporting event to resonate deeply within communities affected by loss.
Thoughtfully planned and respectfully executed, this campaign is a shining example of how OOH can champion brand purpose and drive meaningful impact.”
To get the first look at part 2 of our series, in which our team reflect on new initiatives, launches and share advice, make sure that you are following us on LinkedIn. You can also keep up to date with the latest Talon news and views by signing up for our monthly newsletter.
