Demand for Creative Solutions continues to Grow
OOH Creativity in 2021: Resurgence and Innovations
2021 has been a year where global and local brands have followed consumers back into the great outdoors. We have studied and adapted to new consumer behaviours, led the way with a smarter approach to planning, and more importantly elated our audiences with true creativity.
Throughout the pandemic, what we have seen is the resurgence of creativity and innovation in our medium. As our audience levels stabilised, brands battled to capture consumer attention beyond the classic billboard. Consumer behaviour online has also excelled how creativity and innovation in OOH can extend into the digital world.
BBC’s launch for Dracula (UK) demonstrated the power OOH can have on social chatter. Known for lurking in the shadows, this special build revealed a silhouette of Dracula himself once dusk had set. The execution generated 40+ content pieces online and +7m views of the time-lapsed video on social media.
Closer to home, Lidl’s nationwide Easter campaign intended to help consumers make Easter an extra special celebration this year. Five bus shelters were filled with mini Easter eggs creating an impactful experience for consumers. As this was executed at a time where some movement restrictions were in place, the campaign was amplified with an AR social activation where consumers could stand at the bus shelter in a virtual world and guess the number of eggs in the shelter. Talon’s 4th Space research showed that brands who used the same content across social and OOH benefited from an increase in campaign effectiveness of 23%. This campaign was a remarkable demonstration of the relationship between OOH & mobile.
We know that creativity in OOH builds brand fame. In a recent study by Talon, 65% of respondents said that they felt brands that executed special techniques were more innovative and exciting. With this insight, it is evident that if our objectives involve building a brand, generating talkability or cutting through a cluttered category, then creative solutions will play an important role in that OOH strategy.
Special techniques can also increase purchase consideration by 35% making innovation a key component of Laya Healthcare’s latest campaign. A 2D illuminated pulsing heart monitor was executed on a Golden Square in Dublin, surprising consumers with this non-traditional use of the OOH space.
In James Hurman and Peter Field’s latest work “Cracking the code to creative effectiveness”, they highlighted that creative commitment was reducing in our Industry and that is something we have seen over the past 5 years in the OOH channel. It is encouraging to see the resurgence of creative appetite and this a trend we predict will continue into 2022.
Through collaboration, smarter thinking and our entrepreneurial spirit, we look forward to working with our partners and clients to bring ground-breaking creative solutions to the market next year.
