Freedom Day: What July 19th Means for Advertisers

After what feels like an eternity of face masks and social distancing, Freedom Day – for the first time in over a year – finally marks when we are able to start living life to the full again, and just in time for Summer.

Freedom Day Impact: OOH Opportunities Post-Lockdown

Vaccinations  

So far, around 88% of adults have had a first dose of the vaccine and around 68% have had both. Overall, vaccinations have been a success as the number of hospital admissions and deaths is dramatically lower than before the vaccination had been implemented. A decision for vaccinations for those under 18 is set to be confirmed in a matter of days. 

So, what’s different? 

One of the biggest industries, the travel industry, is set to resume business as normal again – albeit, with a traffic light system. Holidaymakers now have the option of travelling to:

  • Green listed countries – no need to quarantine
  • Amber listed countries – quarantine is scrapped but only for the fully vaccinated
  • Red listed countries – these destinations should not be visited except for in the most extreme of circumstances.

The hospitality industry is also set to benefit significantly from the July 19th changes. With no capacity caps on large-scale events and no more limits on group gatherings, all remaining businesses, including nightclubs, are now able to reopen.

Excitement is in the air for Freedom Day 

A quick browse on Twitter and we were able to find hundreds of Brits excited for Freedom Day. Here’s just a quick snapshot of what they were saying, with a couple of users exclaiming their excitement for dancing again.

This is further backed up with a recent survey from REKOM Night Index, which found that a staggering 94% of young Brits plan to visit late-night venues and a further 56% plan to go out as often or more often than they did pre-pandemic.

Consumer Activity 

Last month saw a huge +13.1% increase in retail sales vs June 2019. Q2 2021 was also up +10.4% vs Q2 2019 – the highest leap on record! More importantly, the overwhelming majority are now comfortable visiting indoor spaces to shop.

International Travel 

With today marking the start of quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated passengers returning from amber list countries – it’s no surprise that EasyJet saw a +400% increase in amber list bookings.

Airport OOH is the perfect environment to target these holidaymakers!

Staycations 

Despite the increase in bookings abroad, staycations still remain a popular alternative – with at least 62% planning to take a staycation this year. Roadside and local OOH is a great way to reach these holidaymakers as they travel to these destinations across the UK.

Travelling & Commuting 

With around 3.9 million unique tube travellers per month and steady ongoing growth amongst both rail and tube users, OOH and DOOH is the perfect solution for reaching both commuters and people choosing to spend time in the cities.

Those choosing to work from home has decreased, with only 22% working entirely from home and 27% of adults working from the office 5 days a week – up a fifth since March.

So, there are huge positives around audiences out of home. Brands can be confident in targeting these audiences to drive engagement, brand awareness and action. July 19th brings numerous opportunities around events, the return of commuters and those socialising for brands putting their best creative foot forward for recovery in 2021.

For more information, please contact marketing@talonoutdoor.com or get in touch with your Talon Planner to discuss OOH opportunities within the mall and retail environment.