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In this edition:

• Column: How To Create Billboards That Drive Results

• Inspiration: Nike’s First Ever Brand Marketing Advert

Column: How To Create Billboards That Drive Results

Out-of-Home has experienced some of the most exciting developments in recent years among traditional media channels.

From programmatic offline-online integrations that align your DOOH (digital out-of-home) with weather patterns, to experiential add-ons to transit shelters, this medium enables brands to come to life in unique and authentic ways.

And on top of that, OOH companies are starting to roll out brand lift studies that attempt to close the measurement gap that has haunted this medium for so long.

This combination of factors have propelled OOH spend to grow to a projected $40.2bn and a +4.5% YOY change in 2024 in the U.S..

But, when I’m out and about I can’t help it but notice so many low-hanging fruit opportunities in driving OOH effectiveness.

Too often do I see excessive usage of words, lack of brand distinction, and complete disregard for creativity.

For a medium that has such high reach and frequency, I am often left speechless with the variability in advertising quality.

What’s Unique About OOH

A lot has been said about OOH’s effectiveness at driving sales lift (in the short- or long-term). Recent analyses have exposed this medium’s limitations to drive short-term results, with the bulk of its effects being experienced in the long-term.

This means that OOH, often thought of as a way to drive direct response, is actually quite ineffective at doing that — sales lift derived from it is practically inexistent (see graph below).

Instead, this medium should be thought of as a brand-building tactic which, if integrated with a broader set of tactics such as TV, digital and DM, could boost short-term effects by keeping a brand top-of-mind while its direct-response mechanisms are being driven through other more effective mediums (i.e.: online video).

While the graph above can be discouraging, it’s important to note that most OOH placements are suffering from the infamous “short-termism effect” driven by the hyper-trackable digital age (where every click, every lead, every eyeball movement is measured and attributed to the success or failure of immediate sales lift).

It’s no secret that CMOs are feeling the pressure. They need to deliver results not in a year from now, but this very quarter. So, when media planners rightfully recommend OOH to drive reach, strategy and creative teams often fall short in maximizing the potential effects of this medium.

Take the below exceptional OOH executions across the Canadian market:

What they have in common is that these placements, while clever and creatively spot on, are also part of a larger campaign. You see, these billboards are not directly driving any sales lift, but they’re playing their part in a bigger picture — also known as an integrated comms plan.

And while OOH can easily attain 98% reach at some of the highest frequency rates in the market (~12), their ability to capture attention is fairly limited — at around a meagre 2 seconds.

So, in order overcome these headwinds, OOH creative needs to find ways to capture AND hold attention, convey key brand elements fast, and drive an emotional response immediately.

The 9 Key Elements of Effective OOH

A recent study released by System1, JCDecaux and Lumen outlined 9 key elements of what makes an effective billboard:

1. Demand Attention: use vibrant colours to stand out and a maximum of 3 items on a page (i.e.: copy, product, CTA);

2. Deploy Fluent Assets: these would be your brand’s distinctive colours, iconic mascot, unique typography, and so on;

3. Be Bold: bigger logos drive up average viewing time and, interestingly, when placed at the top of the page drive higher recall;

4. Expand Product Images: the bigger the product image, the better. And when done cleverly, generates even greater emotional engagement;

5. Clear CTA: make your call to action large to drive longer dwell time;

6. Sell, Sell Sell: the creative combination of points #4 and #5 will drive memorability;

7. Keep It Short: no more than 7-10 words. And make it clever to drive emotional engagement (comedy is often the most effective emotional territory for this since it requires the least amount of build up);

8. Show Faces: our brains are wired to pay attention to faces. So, wherever possible, use them to drive view time and long-term effects;

9. Be Familiar: whether you’re tapping into pop culture, familiar landscapes, or well-known characters, familiarity has a way of capturing and holding attention.

World Class Examples

Below are some OOH executions that deliver the goods. Can you identify which key features of a successful poster are being used in each?

Keep The Important Thing, The Important Thing

As we’ve seen, OOH doesn’t work in a silo.

It must become part of a greater media plan to be effective.

But just as important, OOH creative isn’t like any other static creative.

While designed on a computer screen 6 inches away from our noses, it will likely be seen by people who are on a rush from 60 feet away.

These inherent limitations that come with this medium are what make OOH so fun and exciting to create for.

It will be seen by loads of people, it demands to be clever, and it’s in the real world.

With great power, comes great responsibility.

📢 Community Shout Out

Interested in more OOH content or have unanswered questions? All you have to do is the following:

• Share this week’s newsletter on LinkedIn.

• Write something nice about it and add a question.

• Tag me on LinkedIn so I can see it.

I’ll answer it in the post comments and pick someone to give a shout out in my next column!

Inspiration: Nike’s First Ever Brand Marketing Advert

In an age of hyper-efficiency, the following might sound alien to many:

“Keep working on a campaign concept or an ad headline to make it better. Good enough is not good enough. Keep going and don’t stop until time runs out. Then go with the best idea you’ve got.”

The below is Nike’s first ever BRAND MARKETING advert that came to be by an unlikely turn of events: a factory screw up which caused no new shoes to be manufactured one month.

A one-page print ad with an ode to runners.

No Nike shoes in sight.

Just a picture with a tiny runner in the corner of it.

Speaking to their customers' inner voices.

"There is no finish line."

And the rest is history.

More of PPA:

• 🤝 Connect with Pedro on LinkedIn and/or X

• 🍻 Come by the WJ office for a brew

• 💌 In case you missed it:

  • How B2B Buyers Make Decisions Emotionally

  • Fixing B2B Marketing

  • There’s No Such Thing as “Freedom of The Press”

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