OOH My: Attention Grabbing Out-Of-Home Ads

May 23, 2017    

By ANA staff

It may be hard to believe, but every now and then people pull themselves away from their mobile devices or latest Netflix show to get outside for fresh air. As digital technologies continue to consume our lives, brands have found innovative ways to engage with consumers outside of the home. Check out how these five brands have harnessed the power of digital and out-of-home advertising to connect with passersby.

1. Campbell’s Soup Chases the Weather: Campbell’s Soup and The Weather Channel created a network of gas station video screens to encourage consumers to stock up on Campbell’s products when a storm was approaching or when temperatures dropped 10 degrees from the previous day.
2. Oreo Captures the Eclipse: Oreo leveraged the solar eclipse to make a deeper connection with British consumers. It mirrored the exact timing of the eclipse with Oreo cookies on a number of digital out-of-home sites.
3. Citi Bank Goes Digital in the City: Citi Bank used LinkNYC units — Wi-Fi hotspots located throughout New York City — to geo-target and use beacon messaging to communicate with the right customers at the right time.
4. Kleenex Lends a Tissue: Kleenex built an interactive billboard using 1,700 boxes of tissues to create messages that resonated with consumers. To extend the experience online, it developed a website that encouraged consumers to generate their own personal messages on a virtual billboard and share them on social media.
5. Converse Blows up Its Shoes: Converse wanted to build excitement for the release of its Chuck II shoes — an upgrade of its iconic Chuck Taylor shoes. It placed interactive digital display ads close to Converse stores, allowing fans to play with an exploding Chuck II that highlighted the shoe’s new features.

Who says everything has to be digital? While hand-painted billboards are less appealing for advertisers, some brands have found success with this antiquated option. As part of Snickers’ teaser for its Super Bowl XLIX spot, the brand painted a 30-foot image of Marcia Brady in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. Over the course of 20 days, Marcia’s features were tweaked until she eventually transformed into Danny Trejo.