Out of Home is changing fast, and Talon is at the forefront of that change. We’re passionate about OOH and are on a mission to drive the growth of this sector within the media industry through its key strengths – Audience, Creative, Effective & Sustainable. 

In this blog, our team reflects on new initiatives, launches and more.

If you missed part 1, please click here. 

The Evolution of Atlas

In 2020, we announced the launch of Atlas, our intelligent automated digital OOH buying platform that facilitates audience-first planning programmatically. This year, Atlas launched in Canada.

Speaking about the recent rollout, Sarah Kim, Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships, said, “It’s been very exciting to bring Atlas to life in Canada. Now we have more options for the Talon team and clients in the marketplace and can continue to provide integrated plans using Talon tools.” 

Echoing this, Daniel Mak, Managing Director, Client Partnerships, added, “It has to be Canada’s launch of the Atlas DSP. We’ve had some growing pains getting Atlas set up and working the way we like, but the fact that our agency has an in-house DSP with access to multiple SSPs is a key differentiator in the market with significant upside for the business.” 

In 2024, the platform has now advanced to offer real-time executions for our clients.

Nicola Fox, Head of Programmatic, said, “Selfishly, I have to highlight the transformative work we’ve done with our partners this year to elevate programmatic OOH. The significant enhancements we’ve made to our Atlas Real-Time offering represent the biggest step change to the product since its launch in 2020.These enhancements have empowered brands to activate national campaigns in real-time, fuelled by data, and the rapid uptake from our clients is proof of its impact. 

This success has been a team effort. Our internal teams have embraced a massive upskilling effort to lead from the front in educating the market. Our agency and client partners have been instrumental in embracing and testing new capabilities and driving innovation, while our media owner, data, and technology partners have provided invaluable collaboration and support. 2024 has been a year of incredible progress, and I’m excited to see where we can take it next.” 

Jamie Finn, Head of Planning Operations UK, added, “Without a doubt the evolution of Atlas, and the opportunity where we can now offer Real-Time executions for our clients. 

It’s brilliant – not only does it massively benefit clients and advertisers by providing new routes to market through data driven planning- but it also boosts the overall technological offering of the OOH industry in general – particularly areas such as real time availability and direct media owner booking.” 

Out of Home’s ACES

“For me, it has to be the aces,” said Luke Willbourn, Managing Director UK. “At the beginning of 2024, we launched OOH’s ace cards which we play to make sure our clients’ media plans deliver.  

Covering all key pillars – Audience, Creative, Effective & Sustainable – when played right, these cards will ensure you have the winning hand for your media plan. It’s been fantastic to showcase OOH’s strengths to our clients, agencies and partners and I’m looking forward to seeing how we elevate this in 2025.”

Effectiveness, Econometrics and OOH 

“It has to be our rollout of content around Econometrics. This has been a core focus for us in 2024 and we’ve made great headway! Effectiveness, Econometrics and OOH – this work showcased the latest research around the importance of location data in econometric modelling and our new MMM template that sits within our tech stack to ensure OOH is measured robustly and fairly,” said Head of Effectiveness, Emily Alcorn.   

“Talon has worked hard this year to develop an automated MMM template that sits within Plato, to ensure we are able to provide the rich granular data from Route at the click of a button to improve modelling accuracy. We also worked with JCDecaux and Nielsen this year to supply data for their ‘Location Matters’ research which looked at utilising granular location data in MMM modelling, which can increase OOH ROI by up to 42%. This data is fundamental for brands seeking more payback on their investment.

I presented our work on Effectiveness, Econometrics and OOH at the World Out of Home Organization in Milan to showcase how brands are evaluating OOH and the ‘Location Matters’ research we worked on with JCD was awarded gold in the Econometrics category at the Media Week Awards and won the Applications & Impact of Data award at the MRS Awards.”

ShopConnect Launch

Earlier this year, Talon partnered with Assembly and Place Exchange to activate a first-of-its-kind connected commerce solution designed for all brick-and-mortar retailers. The tool was designed to connect Assembly’s media activation capability to DOOH inventory located inside, outside, and in proximity to retailers across the United States. 

Patrick Murray, VP Marketing, said, “The rise of retail media has been such a huge part of the conversation throughout the industry in 2024. The launch of ShopConnect in partnership with Assembly and Place Exchange enables brands to tap into DOOH screens, both in-store and along the path to purchase, to reach ready-to-buy consumers and influence their purchase decisions.  

Not only has the platform given advertisers the capability of activating DOOH inventory at or near the point of purchase, but the campaigns have delivered results that have earned award nominations.” 

Programmatic OOH in Ireland

“As we approached 2024, one of the key priorities for the Irish business was to harness innovation and maximise the unique potential OOH holds to captivate, engage, and delight audiences,” said Talon Ireland’s Managing Director, Andew Sinclair. 

“Through both programmatic and standout special builds, we have grown these areas exponentially and executed award-winning campaigns, setting the standard and inspiring clients with the limitless possibilities the channel offers.” 

Deputy Managing Director, Aoife Hudson, echoed this, “In 2024, the demand for Programmatic OOH surged, marking a pivotal shift in the industry. Talon cemented a leadership position, actively educating clients and partners on the transformative benefits of PROOH and its strategic value within the media mix. 

To drive this momentum, we launched a comprehensive three-part series to the market, showcasing the potential of this cutting-edge technology. Our efforts also succeeded in attracting a wave of new advertisers to the channel, further solidifying Programmatic DOOH as a dynamic and integral part of the advertising landscape.” 

Beyond Pints

“Our Beyond Pints initiative really stood out as a highlight for Grand Visual in 2024,” said its Managing Director, Jay Young. “Beyond Pints was launched to strengthen our team culture and invest in our people by organising unique experiences outside of work that foster creativity, curiosity, and connection.

The aim was to create opportunities for our team to bond, recharge, and experience inspiration beyond the usual agency setting—whether through art exhibitions, immersive installations, or other culturally enriching activities. 

The response has been incredible. It’s allowed us to form stronger connections across departments, sparking conversations and fresh ideas that feed back into our work. This initiative is already proving its value by bringing energy and new perspectives into our creative process, making it an invaluable part of the Grand Visual experience.” 

To get the first look at our trends and predictions for 2025, 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.

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: 60^th 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. 

Tis the season to put programmatic OOH (PrOOH) to work for your brand.

Following on from our first programmatic piece, we discussed what programmatic OOH (PrOOH) is, the opportunities it unlocks for advertisers, and when is the right time to use it. This piece we’re turning our focus to the Winter months and why programmatic OOH is effective this Christmas.

With a renewed appreciation for the outdoors, people’s perception of outdoor spaces has shifted, leading many to actively seek out activities OUTSIDE of the home. The outdoors has become a favoured destination for socialising, even as winter settles in.

We know from previous consumer behaviour research that 81% of respondents claim Christmas if their favourite holiday – with this in mind what can programmatic OOH (PrOOH) do for your seasonal campaigns.

Well, not to mention the fact that Irish weather is the perfect trigger for PrOOH – where else can you experience all four seasons in one day? Triggered content can help brands break through the noise, just as everyone is competing for attention. Let’s dive into these in more detail:

1. Increased foot traffic

There’s no surprise that when Q4 comes along, people tend to spend more time in retail environments whether it’s the high street or different shopping malls, it all leads to an increase in foot traffic. With October and November accounting for the bulk of Christmas gift buying and Thursdays to Saturdays the preferred time to do shopping. PrOOH allows us to deliver targeted impressions to your core shopper group.

2. Higher levels of engagement

We know that during the festive season, time spent Christmas shopping varies based on demographic. With over ½ of 16-24’s spending an entire day doing their Christmas shopping. Not to mention, that consumers perception of retail hotspots has fundamentally changed, evolving beyond just a shopping destination into a hub for eating out (52%), entertainment (37%) and meeting friends (24%). This leads to higher engagement rates, with consumers having more time to stop and look at ads that are relevant to them.

3. Seasonal advertising opportunities

Q4 is when it all happens. Starting with Black Friday, advertisers have a unique opportunity to highlight everything from special offers and gift ideas to real-time stock updates. PrOOH can help brands quickly and easily target their ads to the right audience, at the right moment, with the right message – whether its weather-triggered, location based or tied to other data points this flexibility allows brands to convey whatever the message and maximise RoI throughout the winter months, right up to January sales.

4. Improved targeting & measurement

We’ve already spoken about real-time triggers, however, one of the main benefits of PrOOH is the ability to target specific audiences based on their behaviours. This can be especially useful during the winter season when brands are all competing for the attention of Christmas shoppers. For instance, a supermarket brand can use programmatic OOH to target individuals who have recently visited a competitor’s store, enticing them to switch for their Christmas shop.

In summary, programmatic OOH (PrOOH) offers brands unique ways to make their Christmas campaigns more dynamic, targeted and timely – especially during the high traffic winter season. While classic OOH remains optimal for brand awareness and recall, integrating PrOOH as part of a wider campaign adds the flexibility to reach a desired audience with data-driven, real-time messaging.

Talon’s DSP Optimise, can help you deliver on bottom-funnel metrics and truly connect with your audience this season. Why wait? Reach out to us today.

Despite Halloween still being around the corner, it won’t come as a shock to know that many are already planning their Christmas celebrations.

We all know that the ‘ber’ months lead to the ultimate celebration in the UK. From travelling through the colder days and darker nights, to shopping not only for things you need, but for gifts that loved ones will appreciate, all roads lead to Christmas. 

All these activities, and many more that are enjoyed in these festive months, are enjoyed outside of the home. And we may be biased, but Out of Home (OOH) advertising in the lead up to and during Christmas provides the perfect opportunity for brands to influence consumers.  

In this blog, we will explore these opportunities and explain with OOH’s ACES – Audience, Creative, Effective and Sustainable – how brands can connect with audiences and reap the rewards using OOH advertising this Christmas. It all starts with thinking outside. 

But first, let’s look at the key shopping dates and habits this Christmas.

Key Christmas Dates 

As we mentioned above, some people are already planning their Christmas celebrations, including when they plan to buy the bulk of their gifts. 17% are planning to purchase their gifts from September to October, whilst 34% plan to make the most of the sales throughout November.

This year, the average consumer expects to spend almost £600 (£593.90) on core Christmas-related products and activities – including food, gifts, decorations, socialising and travelling. But where will they shop?

Shoppers Are Still Hybrid

68% of shoppers plan to shop in-store in 2024, only a fraction behind online shopping (70%). Many shoppers will rely on both channels, especially for last-minute purchases.

To reach hybrid shoppers across both environments, Talon recommends an omnichannel approach. When used in combination with digital channels, OOH increases the effectiveness of online ads by +31%, paid social ads by +56% and +80% for search ads. Consumers already spend an average of 70% of their time outside of their homes – so use OOH to reach these audiences and increase overall reach by 68%. 

Now, onto our ACES! 

Reach Audiences Out of Home this Christmas

It’s important to understand your audience. Who are they? Where are they going? What are they buying? Understanding audiences should be at the heart of every strategy. 

What makes OOH advertising at Christmas so advantageous for brands is its ability to work across all stages of the purchasing funnel. In recent years, the advancements in digital capabilities have shifted the role of OOH from being primarily a top-of-the-funnel medium to working across the whole funnel. 

Out of Home’s role has evolved and continues to evolve based on:  

• Audience Targeting: +15% higher levels of audience relevance  

• Reactive Activation: The ability to book panels in the hour for the next hour  

• Driving Bottom End Metrics: 2x increase in purchase intent.

We might be biased but audience-first planning using our proprietary technology helps brands to get ahead this Christmas. Using an audience first planning approach in Out of Home benefits our clients:  

• Brand 1: Saw a +28% increase in on-target impressions vs. Busy high-street gifter audience  

• Brand 2: Achieved a +50% Uplift in on-target impressions vs. In-market gifters & the brand’s consumers  

• Brand 3: Saw a +12% Increase in footfall to the store vs. Competitors during the campaign.

Create Holiday Magic with Out of Home

During the festive season, the time people dedicate to Christmas shopping varies. Some people shop all day whilst some prefer to shop first thing or later in the day. 28% make buying gifts an occasion, opting to go with friends or get something to eat. 

Over half of 16-25s will spend an entire day doing their Christmas shopping, providing ample opportunity for brands to do something show-stopping and capture their attention. But how do we grab attention and shine this Christmas? Through special builds and site adaptions, experiential activity and dynamic digital creative – a Grand Visual specialty! 

A great example of a brand that utilised all three was Pepsi MAX. They were everywhere during Christmas last year with a multi-faceted, multi-format OOH campaign. The campaign included underground dominations, a wrapping grotto, two snowing billboards and sampling on the day that almost everyone travels home for Christmas on. 

As a result, Pepsi MAX delivered its best performing Christmas ever!

The Gift of Effective Out of Home

Festive messaging is an obvious, yet effective way to cut through the clutter this Christmas. Our analysis of previous campaign effectiveness studies found that 62% of 18-34s have a positive emotional response to Christmas OOH campaigns. When compared to “OOH norms,” Christmas campaigns see significant uplifts across three key metrics – unprompted awareness, consideration and purchase intent. 

Brands who use festive messaging to their advantage can see their campaigns drive uplifts of 23% in ad recall. A further 53% of those who were exposed to a festive campaign felt it reached them in the right mindset and 54% found the campaign relevant. 

Not only is OOH great at driving its own uplifts, but it is also THE digital primer and works extremely well to boost the effect of all other media channels. OOH also drives short term sales too with campaigns seeing a +47% uplift in sales activation effects vs non-OOH users.

‘Tis the Season for Sustainable Out of Home

This Christmas, we must balance creativity with sustainability. Bar a few sceptics – sustainability messaging cuts through and is highly important to audiences. Campaign messaging must be delivered with sincerity as consumers will see through greenwashing. 

OOH is a trusted channel to deliver on sustainability messaging and drive perceptions: 

• 46p in every £1 and £441 million contributed to public infrastructure in 2022 

• Per emission, OOH emits less carbon than all other media measured – contributing just 3.3% to UK total ad power consumption and accounting for less than 3.5% of the UK’s total ad carbon footprint 

• OOH has strong ESG credentials when compared to TV, Press and Online. 

Talon Benchmarks also show that sustainability messaging can increase effectiveness across the brand funnel, on average, by +57%. This messaging drives average increases of: 

• +5.4% ‘Are leaders in sustainability’ 

• +8.2% ‘Produces sustainable products/services’ 

• +8% ‘Has a positive impact on people, the environment and economy’ 

• +8.6% ‘I trust they take responsibility for sustainability.’ 

A great example of a brand leaning into OOH’s sustainability credentials is Not on the High Street (NOTHS). 8 in 10 Brits reported receiving a “bad gift” for Christmas 2022. As a result, over 3.08 million bad gifts were thrown away, ending up in landfill. 

Recognising the enormity of the issue highlighted in its research, Not on the High Street (NOTHS) decided enough was enough this Yuletide. The UK’s home of small creative businesses, NOTHS made it their mission to ensure that festive gifts would not end up in the bin – again! 

To drive fame and stand out from the very beginning, NOTHS created a series of OOH special builds, each highlighting a different issue and encouraging consumers to think before they gift this year. All items in the billboards were donated to Crisis, who support the homeless and aim to better support those suffering.

Use Out of Home’s ACES to win Christmas 2024 

Remember to play your ACES to make sure your media plan delivers:  

• Audience: Use Audience-first planning to reach consumers as they work, shop & play 

• Creative: Drive high emotional engagement with Creative OOH executions 

• Effective: OOH builds brands and drives sales activations, +47% uplift vs non-OOH 

• Sustainable: Low carbon emissions per impression & 46p in every £1 reinvested to community. 

What is programmatic outdoor advertising?

PrOOH, or programmatic OOH, began gaining global traction in 2016. At that time, advertisers were seeking more optimised targeting solutions, big data was in high demand, and online media channels were consuming quite the share of advertising budgets.

In Ireland, the term PrOOH was initially ignored. The lack of data, the belief that OOH shouldn’t be sold that way, all stood as obstacles to Programmatic OOH’s growth in this market. Fast forward to 2024, we’ve witnessed a surge in interest across various sectors, spanning from alcohol brands to automotive giants, and even newspapers such as the Sunday World.

But what is PrOOH? Put simply, programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of ad inventory using technology and software – a supply-side platform (SSP) selling space from media owners, connected to a demand-side platform (DSP) buying advertising from brands and agencies.

The platforms aggregate all the data from both sell and buy sides to efficiently buy the most relevant advertising plays for the brand, based on the audience and campaign parameters they’re looking for, in near-real time.

This piece provides an education into PrOOH alongside, how and when it should be used.

When it comes to programmatic OOH, there are many nuances for consideration when buying:

This is why teaming up with an OOH agency is crucial. Using knowledge and expertise of the medium, our programmatic team works closely with our planning team to make sure we understand your’ needs, how you want to transact with us, and how we can leverage all our capabilities to best serve you and deliver the desired results.

While Digital Out of Home (DOOH) relies on broader metrics such as reach, PrOOH uses data to provide detailed insight into campaign performance. It has the capability to set specific conditions based on external factors that will trigger a slot of purchase. The exciting part is there is practically no limit to the types of data that can be used to trigger content.

What opportunities does PrOOH unlock?

Audience Optimisation

When buying programmatically, advertisers are buying an audience.

With so much data at our fingertips, we now better understand consumer behaviours and mindsets, allowing us to connect with them more effectively. Whether it’s proximity to key locations, targeting neighbourhoods, or specific demographics, advertisers are reaching consumers at the right time. This approach increases effective reach by boosting visibility with a specific target group, making sure ads are only shown when the right audience is present.

Take Specsavers as an example, their target audience was putting off health related tasks on the back of nervousness and fear of COVID in retail environments. We needed to get them to make a spontaneous decision during the limited time frame that they were already out of home. The resulting idea was to use dynamic creative based on the live appointment feed to push specific, store-relevant messaging in real-time. Running the campaign programmatically meant flexibility in up-weighting and down-weighting locations based on required store support. Coupled with our targeting below, this ensured the most efficient use of budget:

• Talon optimised towards key movement times for our target audience (e.g. when they are more likely to do their grocery shop).
• Time targeting mapped to Specsavers stores opening hours for each store.
• Demographic Optimisation based on age profile.
• Geotargeting with proximity to Specsavers stores.

Effective Reach at Key Consumption Moments

Using one or more data triggers to drive PrOOH can enhance the effectiveness of the campaign. An industry study called “The Moment of Truth”, demonstrates the benefits of making copy as relevant as possible to the audience. Referencing relevant content or moments on top of displaying the campaign at the most relevant time can increase brain response in audiences.

Brands can leverage environmental data such as time of day or weather triggers to maximise contextual relevance by dynamically serving the ads based on the data associated with each play.

This year, William Hill’s strategy was to dine out on key consumption moments. With 2024, shaping up to be another busy year for sports they spotted an opportunity on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League by targeting screens in sports bars. Their creative called out each match (relevant moment) alongside the real-time betting odds (relevant content). The campaign ran only during match times, perfectly positioning themselves in the heart of the action and prompting consumers to download the app. The campaign was so successful that they have continued it throughout 2024 for other sporting events.

When is the right time to use PrOOH?

But, like everything there’s always a time and place when best to use.

The benefits of Programmatic OOH advertising (PrOOH) are impressive, but let’s not forget the unmatched capability of OOH in making a splash, capturing attention, and creating mental availability. Research from our colleagues in the UK, show that PrOOH can achieve a 3x times increase in purchase intent comparison to a classic OOH buy. However, when evaluating spontaneous awareness, it’s clear that a classic broadcast campaign excels in that shift. The same results applied for a number of local campaigns.

But how does PrOOH stack up against its digital counterpart? Well think of it as the perfect blend of past and present. PrOOH uses smart data and targeting to deliver the right message at the right moment, just like digital ads do – only PrOOH has the added benefit of being a one-to- many medium – in PrOOH buying, the ‘many’ being an optimised group of consumers. When used correctly PrOOH can enhance your campaigns reach and impact. Proving that both worlds can coexist and thrive together.

Over the last year there has been increased desire from advertisers and brands to use programmatic OOH (PrOOH). As new media owners get on board and new OOH environments become available, this growth will only excel. The high degree of flexibility, responsiveness, and minimal lead times makes this way of buying attractive. Not to mention the significant evidence pointing to the benefits of using an omnichannel advertising strategy. OOH boosts the impact of other media channels.

PrOOH gives digital buyers the chance to reach people whether they’re online or out in the real world. In H1 2024, our brand count of advertisers has grown by 85%, with existing OOH users complementing their OOH campaigns with PrOOH at key consumption moments.

“It’s an exciting time for programmatic OOH in Ireland, with data at our fingertips and limitless triggers to explore. More and more brands are using it as a powerful extension to their existing campaigns, creating even deeper connections with their audiences. The possibilities are endless, and we’re just scratching the service.”

Eoin Carroll, Programmatic lead at Talon Ireland

Curious about how programmatic OOH can level up your campaigns? This is just the beginning; over the next few weeks we will be continuing our 3-part series all about programmatic OOH. Reach out to us today and let’s start thinking outside.

While carbon emissions must be reduced, how we measure them within the advertising hasn’t been standardised, creating challenges for advertisers and agencies alike.

Alice Date writes for WARC on the importance of a uniformed method when measuring sustainability. Service industries such as advertising have typically flown under the radar with regard to sustainability, as they are unaffected by complex manufacturing supply chains and reliance on abundances of natural resources.

According to the Purpose Disruptors report from 2022, advertising is responsible for 32% of the
carbon footprint of every single person in the UK: 208 million tonnes. Providing transparent emissions data allows clients to make reasonable and informed decisions
about their options.

Read the full article here.

Talon Benchmarks show that lower budgets are no barrier to effectiveness in OOH writes Lucy Baumgartner, Effectiveness Manager at Talon

OOH advertising is enjoying something of a golden period. Driven by its adaptability, digital innovation and the ever-growing consumer appetite for experience, the latest figures from industry body Outsmart show OOH’s post-Covid renaissance continues apace as the sector delivered its highest first-half revenue growth since records began over the first six months of 2024.

This phenomenal growth demonstrates that brands increasingly understand and see the value of OOH in terms of impact and effectiveness. More brands are leveraging the medium’s broadcast reach and dynamic creativity, and that’s not just limited to big-name brands with huge budgets.

OOH drives strong results for brands across the whole funnel

According to analysis from Talon’s Benchmarks, OOH drives strong results for brands across the whole funnel, including newly launched brands and those who have previously felt like OOH was inaccessible due to budget.

Talon Benchmarks are a simple but sophisticated database which has been collated through using a consistent measurement framework across over 200 brand uplift studies. This database provides unique insight into OOH’s effectiveness.

Our Benchmarks show that for brands with spend under £150,000, using OOH can increase prompted awareness by 3%, brand preference by 3.5% and, crucially, purchase intent by 6.2%.

Couple that with OOH’s long-established ability to build brand awareness and trust with consumers, it is the ideal partner for newly launched and lesser-known brands that are ambitious to grow category and market share. To get the most from OOH, campaigns need to be optimised across creative execution, format and environment selection.

Different OOH formats and environments can drive specific brand metrics

Using Talon’s Benchmark data, it is possible to pinpoint how different OOH formats and environments can drive specific brand metrics meaning campaigns can be optimised based on a client’s objectives. Put another way, if a new brand has a brief to drive purchase intent, the data shows that a mix of transport, large format and digital formats will deliver the strongest results.

Even with a sharp focus on formats and targeting, the most significant factor influencing a campaign’s effectiveness remains creativity. Without it, a campaign may not achieve its objectives. With lower spends, it is even more vital that your work stands out from the crowd.

Competitive pricing can help differentiate

Using competitive pricing to differentiate a new or lesser-known brand from its competitors while also appealing to the broader consumer concerns around the cost of living has been shown to deliver strong results across all metrics. Talon’s Benchmark data show that, when compared with standard creative, using price as a tool drove much stronger uplifts across consideration and purchase intent while it increased quality perceptions by an incredible 17%.

Focusing on price or monetary offers should not come at the expense of an engaging and human approach to creativity. The analysis also shows that the use of people, faces, and characters in lower-budget campaigns can hugely boost engagement, driving message take-out up by 21%, relevancy by 14% and emotional engagement by 11%. Proving once again that connection with audiences is invaluable for building trust and driving awareness and consideration.

A unique opportunity to speak to audiences outside of their homes

OOH has long been a part of consumers’ everyday lives and is a unique opportunity to speak to audiences outside their homes. Digitisation and innovation have transformed OOH into a more flexible, relevant, and interactive medium than ever. OOH offers all brands, regardless of their size or budget, the opportunity to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time—effectiveness made simple.

Every year, Black Friday signals the beginning of one the most intense shopping periods of the year. Across one weekend, consumers spend billions, setting the stage for the retail rush that follows. Last year alone, according to AIB, consumers spent over €95 million online on Black Friday alone, with a record-breaking 900k card transactions taking place. But this is only the beginning.

As we move deeper into Q4, the excitement builds. With 81% of respondents declaring Christmas as their favourite holiday, the final quarter is where it all happens. However, it’s not just about shopping; it’s about embracing seasonal traditions. From braving sea swims to scenic hikes and festive parties, audiences are embracing the season – outside of the home.

This is where OOH comes into its own, placing your brand at the heart of the action. OOH reaches your target audience at key moments throughout the season, ensuring your message resonates during those cherished traditions.

And just as Santa checks his list – we ready our ACES to ensure you have the winning hand this Christmas.

Audience

This Q4, we’re connecting with a nation that fully embraces the festive season in both their shopping habits and holiday traditions. Christmas is a big deal – according to Kantar €1.4 billion passed through Ireland’s grocery tills in December 2023, with shoppers making nearly 42 million trips to stores over the four weeks leading up to December 24^th. The shopping frenzy kicks off in October and November, with these months accounting for the bulk of Christmas gift buying.

This year, consumers are planning to shop that bit later, capitalising on events such as Black Friday to score the best deals. Despite the convenience of online shopping, the in-store experience remains a key part of the holiday tradition with 36% of shoppers preferring a blend of both online and in-store experiences. Not only that, but according to our insights Thursday to Saturday are the most popular days with people still eager to soak up the bustling atmosphere that comes with these shopping occasions instead of opting for quieter shopping times. Shopping centres are the most popular environment for this, but with many consumers navigating a variety of shopping spaces, reaching them through multiple OOH touchpoints is key.

Creative

But during the festive season, the challenge is not just to participate, but to stand out. The holiday magic lies in how effectively you can capture attention, especially as according to our research the time people dedicate to Christmas shopping varies across demographics. For instance, half of 16-24’s spend an entire day doing their Christmas shopping and according to promocode Irish consumers will spend four full days out shopping, giving brands extended dwell time to engage through creative OOH solutions.

A recent example from last Christmas is Jameson, who wanted to be the Christmas drink of choice. They took over a well-known pub, The Barge, and transformed it into a massive Christmas tree. The special build featured over 400+ Jameson bottles, individually lit and pixel mapped with LED technology to deliver seasons greetings. According to a Talon study comparing traditional OOH exposure with special builds, the results were clear: a +35% increase in purchase consideration, a +17% rise in consumer action, and 72% of respondents agreed that the extra elements made it stand out.

Effective

Our third ACE – effective – is all about delivering real, measurable results. While creative visual appeal is essential it’s not enough on its own. Talon’s benchmarks show how OOH excels in achieving key performance metrics along the brand funnel, with classic formats being 1.6x more effective at driving awareness, large formats 1.5x more effective at driving consideration, and digital formats 1.1x more effective at driving purchase intent.

Christmas campaigns are no exception. In the lead-up to the festive season, brands are looking to cut through the clutter and noise. OOH provides them with an opportunity to do that in a highly visible and public way, with Christmas OOH campaigns delivering a 23% uplift in ad recall. Not only that, but they also resonate emotionally – 62% of 18-34s report a positive emotional response to OOH Christmas ads. And with 60% of all ecommerce now happening outside of the home (IPA analysis), OOH is highly effective at driving short-term sales, delivering a 47% uplift in sales activation vs non-users, especially when featuring a call to action (55% sales message vs 28% brand building message).

Sustainable

The final part of our ACES – sustainable – highlights the growing importance of balancing creativity with responsibility as we approach this Christmas season. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact brands can have. According to our research, Irish consumers believe brands make a positive contribution. Sustainable advertising not only supports the planet but also increases effectiveness along the brand funnel, driving an average uplift of +57%. It even primes sustainable perceptions in other channels, particularly online social media, with a 5.8% average increase.

Take Not on the High Street’s campaign in the UK last Christmas, which encouraged UK consumers to reconsider their gifting habits. With 8 in 10 reporting bad gifts, and over 3.08 million thrown away, their campaign urged consumers to gift wiser through a series of creative OOH solutions.

As a one-to-many medium, OOH offers another advantage: it emits fewer carbon emissions per impression than any other media measured (KPMG 2023). As we move forward, brands can make even more sustainable choices by considering factors such as recycled paper use, digital sites powering down, and minimising the number of creative assets used.

The Q4 outlook this year for OOH is looking “Merry & Bright”. At Talon we believe that OOH delivers across four main benefits: understanding your Audience, crafting Creative that captivates attention, ensuring Effectiveness to drive real results, and embracing Sustainability for a responsible impact – otherwise known as ACES.

With record-breaking holiday spending predicted, longer and later shopping trips, high emotional engagement with OOH, this coming festive period is a chance for brands to cut through the clutter.

Reach out to a member of your Talon team for the full deck or to discuss your Q4 options – because this Christmas OOH is your winning hand!

Talon was pleased to work with Havas London, Havas Media UK and Grand Visual on the Out of Home element of this campaign which received Campaign’s Ad of the Day.

With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games just under two weeks away, John West – the UK’s leading tinned fish brand and trusted household name- has launched a new campaign to celebrate the strength of ParalympicsGB athletes, and their role as proud protein partners of ParalympicsGB.

Building on John West’s brand positioning ‘EAT STRONG, GO STRONG’, the campaign showcases the power of natural protein, and how it fuels you to be strong, in whatever you do.

To relay this message, the campaign humorously dramatises the effects of John West’s natural protein on ParalympicsGB athletes via a bespoke special build with a life-sized javelin peeking out, with supporting copy ‘’warning, protein-fuelled javelin throwers are getting serious air miles’’. The special build sits alongside a number of DOOH, which feature other sports, including cycling and shotput – further playing on the effects of John West’s natural protein.

The media plan, developed by Havas Media UK, strategically positions the special build across three screens in major UK cities to ensure nationwide visibility. Key commuter spots have been selected to maximise exposure, including The Pump Station by Westfield London, Pin Mill Brow in Manchester and New Moseley Road in Birmingham.

The campaign also includes a series of humorous TikTok videos, which sees three ParalympicsGB athletes; Kadeena Cox, Para Cycling and John West protein Ambassador, Nathan MacQueen, Para Archery and Hollie Arnold, Para Athletics, not realising their own strength – lifting up cars and retrieving their equipment from people’s gardens. Filmed in an undercover style way, the videos utilise the popular doorbell footage TikTok trend and showcase a range of Paralympic sports.

In February 2023, John West Foods was announced as an Official protein partner of ParalympicsGB. The four-year partnership with ParalympicsGB, covers the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics and the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, as well as activities outside of the Games period. This long-term partnership will bring to life the brand’s ‘Eat Strong, Go Strong’ message and further amplify John West’s protein credentials.

Vicki Maguire, chief creative officer Havas London said: ‘’This campaign is fuelled by natural protein…bringing a touch of humour, while getting behind our ParalympicsGB athletes, to bring home the glory….’’
Vikki Babb, John West International, Marketing Director added: “We are extremely proud to be partnered with ParalympicsGB and are excited to be supporting the team on their road to Paris. The campaign perfectly brings together the John West tongue in cheek tone of voice and benefits of our natural protein.”

Andrew Darby, Managing Partner, Havas Media Network said: “We’re honoured to work alongside our sister agency, Havas London to support John West’s journey in celebrating and empowering ParalympicsGB athletes through the power of natural protein. This campaign truly exemplifies the synergy between creativity and strategic media planning—by positioning this captivating special build in central locations across the UK, supported by this engaging multi-media campaign, we will together ensure maximum visibility and inspire nationwide support for these incredible athletes.”

The campaign is live from the 12th of August, kicked off by the special build, followed by the DOOH on the 19th of August. The TikTok films will be live across the summer and throughout the Paralympics.

-CREDITS –
Project name: John West Paralympics – Eat Stong, Go Strong
Client: Vikki Babb (International Marketing Director) & Laura Cooper (Marketing Manager)
Creative agency: Havas London
Chief Creative Officer: Vicki Maguire
Creative Director: Dave Mygind
Copywriter: Joe Roberts
Art director: Doug Redfern
Managing Partner: Dave Owen
Account Director: Andrew Symonds
Senior Account Manager: Rica Dezoller
Head of Production: Louise Bonnar
Agency Producer: Ella Myerscough-McClymont
Senior Integrated Producer (print): Kat Loizou
Creative Production Director: Dean Trendler
Strategy Director: Jack Lewis-Barclay
Chief Design Officer: Lorenzo Fruzza
Design Director: Josh Toogood
Designer: Morgan Shipley
Designer: Walt Gregory
Media agency: Havas Media UK
Outdoor partner : JCDecaux Creative Solutions
Outdoor partner : Talon
Outdoor partner: Ocean
Production company: Prose on Pixels
Director: Doug Redfern & Joe Roberts
Executive Producer: Ben Kaufman
Producer: Rosie Smith
Production Assistant: Ella Higgins
DoP: John Fisher
Editor: Navid Khayati-Daryan
Post-production: ELMNTL
Post-production producer: Jenna Le Noury & Rose Crisp
Post-production (OOH): Prose on Pixels
VFX: Antonio Jimenez + Mustafa Pertev
Colourist: Henry Howard
Soundtrack composer: N/A
Narrator / VO: Joe Roberts
Audio post-production: Joe Marsden

Lucy Baumgartner, Effectiveness Manager, writes about her choice to be social-free and the Gen Z Digital Detox trend for Ad Age

Lucy Baumgartner, Effectiveness Manager Talon, writes for Ad Age on why she doesn’t engage with social media anymore and why – with 3 in 5 now regularly undertaking social media detoxes – marketers should adapt their digital-first perspectives to effectively engage Gen Z. Lucy explains the reasoning behind her choice to step away from social media, and why marketers may need to consider alternatives when reaching Gen Z.

Read the full article.