Media agencies praised oOh!media’s “forward-thinking mindset” and “data-driven approach” on display at last night’s Outfronts event.
A majority of the praise went to the major long-term contract wins across Sydney and Melbourne, with the expansion of the network and the scale seen as a draw for clients.
The expansion of its emerging retail media division also garnered positive feedback, with many complimenting the future-looking strategy of moving towards a full omnichannel digital offering for retailers.
Avenue C’s managing partner of media, Daniel Cutrone, said oOh! threw down the gauntlet, presenting a formidable proposal to the market achieving scale, innovation, and effectiveness.
“The recent acquisition of two new Sydney street furniture council contracts (Waverly & North Beaches) represent a strategic expansion of their premium network, further enhancing the already robust commuter portfolio which includes Woollahra and key metro stations in Sydney & Melbourne,” he said.
“With no dates of transition mentioned, it may be some time before this becomes in effect. But one thing is for sure, the street furniture dynamic is about to be turned upside down across Sydney and Melbourne.
“oOh! Media will be able to reach 98% of audiences and boast a 13% efficiency delivered by their scale - an attempt to secure more deals in market.
“With greater measurement capabilities, a focus on AI improved trading, targeting resources and creative optimisation - they are best positioned to fly this flag.”
“With a ‘shift to outcomes’, I will be extremely interested if oOh!media becomes the first OOH vendor to move to outcome-based trading, a move which many advertisers would be eager to explore and activate within this current market.”
This is Flow’s business director, Lauren Bauer, said the headline for her was oOh!’s laser focus on new to market tenders; looking to capture clear space and further defend their position as the biggest OOH provider.
“oOh! Media are clearly investing in growing their network through new tenders across Sydney & Melbourne, spruiking that they will have 100% coverage of Sydney’s highest earning postcodes with the additions of Waverly & Northern Beaches councils,” she said.
“The digitisation of these networks, as well as initiatives like eco living roofs on shelters will be a welcomed addition to postcodes which have historically lacked impactful OOH coverage. Particularly appealing for clients who are going after that higher income audience, with the ease of a digital network.
“After the rollout of (the majority) the Sydney metro contract, oOh! have turned their sights to essentially the Melbourne equivalent – a smart move to drive reach and simplify the network across the biggest states.
"This really cements the move to go after new assets, and new environments, adding yet another format to the mix to assert dominance in the Sydney market and combat JCD’s hold on the train & bus contracts.
“Following suit in the world of 3DA, oOh! are rolling out capability across their broader network to maximise scale, which is a win for the industry as 3D spills into rail, office, university & more. I’m most interested to see if they will launch production support arm alongside, as we still see this being the biggest barrier to entry with clients.
“oOh! are looking to defend their slice of the retail pie, with a further 200 buying segments fuelled by Unpacked (Flybys) & Westpac data. No real surprise here, with increased competition in the retail space with players such as Cartology and their ComBank iQ offering which was announced in July.”
Hatched’s strategy director Berlian Ayudya said she always had a soft spot for OOH as an ad format, with its ability to capture attention en masse and in visually impactful ways.
“Which is why last night's oOh!media Outfront served as a good reminder that, when done right, OOH can help businesses garner unfair share of attention and positive business results,” Ayudya said.
“The work I do with clients requires me to put the customer at the heart, and critically think about how to influence them, from the ‘passive’ stage to ‘purchase’ stage.
“So when I see developments like 3D anamorphic creative (read: having things pop out from OOH panels and it's really effing cool) and data signals that allow us to dynamically adjust creative in real time, it inspires me to show my clients' brands how out-of-the-box thinking on OOH can make their brand stand out and be remembered across the customer journey.
“At the purchase stage, the power of retail media certainly cannot be overlooked. With spending in this category predicted to exceed linear TV, we must think about its use-case beyond just showing up on panels in proximity to stores, and more as an omnichannel ecosystem that allows us to engage customers in a more dynamic way before, during and after they've left the store.
“This isn't just about a name change (from Reooh to Reo) but more a change in mindset on how agency partners, brands and retailers themselves should tackle the beautiful beast that is retail media.”
The Media Store’s trading manager, Mollie Cross, said she is excited about oOh!’s enhanced offerings in Sydney and Melbourne; especially its "100% coverage of Sydney’s highest earning suburbs," following the tender wins of Waverly Council street furniture and the Northern Beaches, as well as the key Melbourne Metro Tunnel contract.
“The expanded network unlocks key affluent and public transport user pillars that are increasingly in demand, and will complement oOh!’s existing street furniture, public transport, roadside and retail ecosystems,” she said.
“oOh!’s creative powerhouse, POLY, spotlighted the value of creative by sharing that 41% of the potential ROI from out-of-home is driven by creative. To support the growing need for creative solutions, the POLY team are tearing down the barriers to faux out-of-home (FOOH) production, amongst other high-impact creative formats.
“Despite being impressive, productions such as those displayed for House of the Dragon can come with big price tags, and I’m keen for oOh! to share insights on the incremental effectiveness unlocked by leveraging these creative solutions.
“What did surprise me was the lack of reference to regional within this year’s Outfronts. With MOVE 2.0 touted for a release to market in 2025, I’d love to see heightened investment in non-metro zones, deepening oOh!’s network within harder to reach communities.
“It will be interesting to see how oOh! stacks up to its competitors in these zones once MOVE 2.0 data is available; here’s hoping they’ve not missed a trick by putting all of their 2025 eggs into one very metro-centric basket."
PHD’s co-head of investment for Sydney, Emma Wood, said that oOh! is going into 2025 with a strong proposition, expertly articulated through 5 “mega” trends that offer advertisers opportunities and challenges alike - omni-channel reach, enhanced AI, synchronised creative and a shift to performance driven outcomes.
“The evolved retail offering ‘reo’ drives a new revenue stream and ensures brand presence through every means possible,” she said.
“Ease of trade continues to be paramount, and the promise of AI enhanced end to end processes that supercharge responses both from a turnaround time, pricing, compliance and scheduling perspective will set oOh! apart from its competitors.
“The focus on digital, future facing solutions is aligned to our proposition to clients. oOh’s upfront was delivered with precision and a powerful message, “unblockable, unskippable, unstoppable, unmissable”.
“More so than ever, our clients need flexibility to navigate complex challenges and deliver real outcomes. oOh!’s scalable offering ensures that we can deliver a broad spectrum of solutions to our clients, ranging from high impact, fame building campaigns, through to audience-led, hyper-targeted solutions that drive actionable business outcomes and the new tender wins Waverley Council, Northern Beaches, Eastlink along with Sydney and Melbourne Metro help deliver this.”
OMD Sydney’s group investment director, Barbara Lezanski said the Outfronts underscored oOh!’s commitment to its purpose: making public spaces better and brands unmissable.
“The event focused on the future of out of home (OOH) advertising, highlighting how audiences, technology and measurement are expected to evolve in the coming years,” she said.
“oOh!’s approach reflects a forward-thinking mindset, demonstrating how they are not just reacting to these changes but actively driving them through innovative solutions. oOh! is continuing to build scale and innovate and in doing so is providing a simplified solution for advertisers.
“Their strategy is clever and positions them as a market leader in OOH. The simplicity of the approach connects advertisers with solutions at every touchpoint of the media, creative, measurement and sales ecosystem. From using scale and technology to drive fame, and data solutions to attribute sales results, oOh! is reshaping how we think about traditional broadcast channels.
“In Sydney, oOh! continues to strengthen its position in the premium advertising space, bolstered by recent tender wins in Waverley and the Northern Beaches. These expansions will enable advertisers to achieve extensive reach among high-earning audiences within a premium environment.
“More importantly, oOh!’s data-driven approach, exemplified by partnerships with Unpacked and DataX, represents a shift towards an outcomes-focused strategy.
"This is a significant advantage for brands seeking deeper insights into the effectiveness of OOH advertising in targeting premium segments, as it moves beyond traditional metrics to deliver a more nuanced understanding of audience engagement and campaign impact.
“The rebranding of oOh!’s retail solution to ‘reo’, and the expansion of their retail network beyond in-store settings to digital platforms such as web and app channels, reflect a comprehensive understanding of the importance of a seamless consumer journey.
“By integrating insights from data and research, oOh! enables advertisers to create more robust OOH plans that encompass all formats and stages of the consumer path to purchase.
"The real opportunity lies in further leveraging these innovations - by connecting OOH insights with other channels, brands can deliver more cohesive and effective campaigns that resonate across the entire media landscape.
“Overall, oOh!media is positioning itself as a leader in the evolving OOH advertising space, adapting to market needs and setting a standard for how brands can create impactful, data-driven campaigns that deliver results.”
Mediahub GM Tom Rankin said this year’s oOh! Outfronts were a big step-change from previous years - a new venue, time slot and format and a corresponding sense of clarity of purpose and energy from the oOh! team.
“Outfronts felt more like a broadcast network upfront - bigger, flashier and more confident,” he said.
“Talking about scale, it felt like there was much to be optimistic about, with new contract wins in Sydney and Melbourne across formats and a focus on premium affluent audiences, shiny new networks in Sydney metro and upcoming Melbourne metro tunnel.
“Developing their retail media offering and monetising partner business networks is obviously a huge focus for oOh! and a burgeoning part of the business. There’s some work to do to compete with established players but it will be interesting to see how this develops over the coming 12 months.
“Some standout initiatives in terms of rollout of 3D mapping of a number of key large format sites, enabling advertisers to tell richer, multichannel stories using mixed reality / CGI over the backbone of real-world panels. This feels like an area that will pay dividends.
“Looking at SMI numbers for 2024, the out-of-home industry certainly has more to be confident about than other channels in 2024, and oOh! have done a good job of building on this momentum. Last night was focused firmly on the big picture, with a little bit of something for everyone."
Mindshare’s head of investment for Melbourne, Ante Pejic, said the event was a strong showing on oOh!'s positioning in market as number #1, ultimately underpinned by their scale in market and desire to be a one-stop shop.
“They've made some strong wins in Sydney with Metro, Woollahra and Northern Beaches coverage which was a must,” he said.
“For Mindshare and our clients, what stood out was their newly branded REO Network, continued domination in creative solutions in Poly, as well as their investment in AI coupled with measurement.
“It would have been good to understand more about their retail network and how they help brands with media roll outs, as this continues to be an important part of the client conversation.
“What remains the biggest unknown, and an easy win, would be how they use AI to optimise their schedules to achieve maximum reach and efficiency in MOVE across their network. Despite this, it’s an exciting proposition and a testament to the outdoor player’s growing capabilities in market - it’s now a matter of seeing it all in operation.”
Enigma’s executive director of media, Sally Lawrence, said one statement that stuck with her was around outdoor being so effective because it is the only channel where it doesn’t interrupt the content; it is the content.
“oOh! have set a benchmark, tackling their upfronts through the lens of consumer trends that are not just relevant to outdoor, but to all channels,” she said.
“In doing so, they were able to deliver their updates in a very succinct, relevant and audience friendly manner. We were taken through how oOh! can provide solutions and are innovating when it comes to scale, retail, media fragmentation, AI and outcome-based results.
“oOh! talked about their winning formula when it came to tenders over the last 12 months, unveiling that they had won an impressive 80% of the tenders over this period, including the Melbourne and Sydney Metros, Eastlink motorway and Waverley Council and Northern Beaches.
“oOh! have a clear focus on digital, announcing that all infrastructure will be digital with these tender wins. We did find it interesting that all the conversations around digital were focused heavily on the infrastructure, and not on the buying, with the word programmatic not being mentioned once.
“Through a day-in-the-life analogy, we were shown how oOh! can reach audiences across every stage of the purchasing journey and we felt this was the perfect opportunity to talk about the benefits of programmatic buying and how it can complement traditional buying.
“It wouldn’t be a media update in 2024 without the words retail media, and oOh! did a great job of showing their creds in this space by focusing on the buying power of the audiences they’re reaching versus the coverage. Very effective.
“They also announced the re-naming of their retail arm from REOOH to REO, which will see oOh! move from our just outdoor to digital channels as well, and we wonder if this is the start of something for oOh!. Will we be seeing more of this in the years to come?
“The upfront ended strong with oOh! saying they are Australia’s #1 outdoor company in size but also in sentiment, being voted #1 across IMAA and Mediai surveys. A confident and compelling statement.”
Awaken GM Veronica Gutierrez said last night's Outfronts demonstrated oOh!media’s clear dominance as the leading player in Australia’s outdoor advertising market.
“With over 35,000 assets nationwide, their vast reach and scale have solidified their position as the ‘reach and scale’ leader,” she said.
“Recent wins, including contracts for Sydney Metro, Waverley Council, and Northern Beaches street furniture, along with digital upgrades in Manly, further bolster their presence in key urban areas. Their expansion in Melbourne, including the Eastlink contract and new metro stations, continues to broaden their substantial footprint.
“From a marketing perspective, oOh!media’s positioning is strong—they offer advertisers unmatched scale and digital integration, giving prime access to Australia’s busiest locations. These developments, while reinforcing their leadership, are more about refining their strengths and building on proven strategies rather than a departure from what already works.
“In the retail space, they've positioned themselves as the ‘path to purchase’ network, aiming to capture a larger share of retail media spending, with claims that shoppers in their centres spend 50% more than at competitor locations. This is a smart strategic move, but with retail media being a highly competitive space, oOh!media’s continued success will rely on innovation.
“While their messaging and positioning have been effective, standing out will require successfully rolling out new initiatives like their expanded 3D digital networks. As the market fragments further, moving beyond just scale and focusing on more innovative solutions will be crucial for differentiation. Continuing to refine its strengths and leveraging data partnerships to deliver creative solutions will be key to maintaining its leadership in a fragmented market and driving continued growth.”
Wavemaker’s marketplace director, Jarrad Cook, said oOh! reinforced its positioning, highlighting its role in helping brands become unmissable and how they can leverage the 5 Mega Trends shaping media today to create stronger outcomes.
“With an incredible 80% win rate across tenders this year, oOh! made the case for the power of scale,” he said.
“Key wins include Waverley Council, complementing the existing Woollhara assets, in addition to Eastlink, adding another 13 digital large-format sites to oOh!'s Melbourne portfolio.
"In a big announcement on the night, oOh! revealed it's been successful in picking up the Melbourne Metro contract, adding greater weight to an already impressive asset suite. Brands and agencies alike can feel confident oOh! can deliver scale across a broad range of premium assets.
“As retail media continues to be a key focus area for brands, oOh! demonstrated its readiness to embrace this uptake with a rebrand and refocus of its retail OOH division, now called reo. Similarly, through investment in AI and machine learning, oOh! indicated its commitment to free up staff from menial tasks, to enable time to be spent delivering supercharged responses to client briefs. That can only be a good thing.
“Fragmentation continues to be a key point of discussion for brands and agencies, which oOh! aims to address through the crafting and delivery of top tier creative executions, ensuring audience attention is captured. With research showing the huge impact of quality creative and POLY's ability to create unique creative solutions, the mantra of 'right creative on the right asset' has never been truer.
“Addressing the 5th mega trend of a shift to outcomes and results, oOh! outlined how its 1,000 audience segments will help to better define our clients' audience targeting, ultimately leading to better results. Through its 25 different PCR metrics, oOh! will also be able to provide campaign learnings our clients need to better plan future strategies. And it has 250 case studies on hand to help inform better media buying.
“In summary, oOh! announced a number of significant tender wins focusing on Sydney and Melbourne, giving brands access to areas previously not accessible via out-of-home formats. Also positive is oOh!'s continued investment in attention-grabbing tech that will help brands be seen and become famous, as well as investment in tech in the back end to better support media agencies to transact with oOh!.”
iProspect’s group investment director, Vera Manalac, said the tender wins that oOh! announced will be huge for them in 2025 and really speaks to the scale they are able to deliver in outdoor buys.
“What I loved most was that while they spoke to their investment into the development of their strong data capabilities and AI, oOh!'s outfronts focussed on outdoor advertising's ability to build brand fame and ultimately drive real business outcomes for brands, which is really what outdoor is all about!” she said.
Starcom’s chief operating officer, Louise Romeo, said the Outfronts 2025 event showcased the significant evolution of the out-of-home industry, with oOh! emerging as a driving force not only in adapting to change but in actively leading its transformation.
“oOh!'s contemporary approach to redefining the sector, characterised by strategic investments into cutting-edge technology, seamless integration of AI into their operations, and a strong focus on empowering brands to leverage their extensive network of assets, provides a robust platform for engaging with Australian audiences on a deeper level throughout their consumer journey,” she said.
“In a landscape filled with an abundance of technological advancements, brands now have endless possibilities unfolding in the out-of-home space. oOh!'s emphasis on its infrastructure expansion and creating compelling advertising moments will be key to driving continued momentum.
“The opportunity for brands will be around maximising the potential of their assets by aligning content, context, and creativity, further enhanced by data-informed insights to drive greater effectiveness. oOh! highlighted the increasing importance of accountability in advertising spend on their platforms, which is now just an essential ask around how brands have moved towards business results as standard performance metrics across all campaign activity.
“Looking ahead, oOh!'s strategic focus on capitalising on the positive trajectory of retail media positions them for sustainable growth in the years to come. By expanding their presence in the retail omnichannel network along with their path to purchase inventory, oOh! will cement themselves as a key player in this space, bringing further competition.
“oOh!'s pioneering spirit, supported by their insightful audience understanding and rich data partnerships, all amplified by the scale of their inventory, positions them as a partner who can connect brands with their audiences as well as drive impactful business outcomes.
“As the industry continues to evolve, oOh!'s dedication to innovation and shaping the future of out-of-home sets a high standard for excellence and paves the way for further growth in this dynamic channel. What an exciting time to work in media.”
Havas Media Network's national head of partnerships and adtech, Kevin Fernandes, said oOh!media reinforced its #1 position at its media upfronts held at the stunning Overseas Passengers Terminal.
"The upfronts highlighted five key or mega trends set to define the future for them," he said.
"Power of Scale: oOh!media continues to expand its footprint and influence across Australia. With 80% wins in new business, key achievements include securing the Waverley contract in Sydney and increasing their Melbourne presence by 50% with new sites along the East Link and Metro Tunnel. This growth provides advertisers with more options and greater efficiency in reaching diverse audiences across the country.
"Rise of Retail: As consumer spending in retail environments remains strong, oOh!media is capitalising on high footfall locations. With access to over 200 retail networks globally, the company is advancing its initiative to fully monetise these retail environments, ensuring maximum exposure and engagement for brands where consumer attention is highest.
"Fragmentation of Audiences: In response to increasingly fragmented audiences, oOh!media is deploying a variety of innovative strategies to capture consumer attention. High-impact sites, dynamic creative optimisation (DCO), and advanced formats, such as 3D displays on 4K screens, are at the forefront of this effort. 41% of potential ROI comes from the creative. Campaigns like Uber’s "Get Almost Almost Anything" exemplify how creativity can cut through the noise in a crowded media landscape.
"AI & Innovation: oOh!media is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance every stage of the campaign process. From planning and execution to moderation and optimisation, AI is making campaigns faster, smarter, and more efficient. This technological advancement ensures that brands receive maximum return on investment with minimal waste. Brands that use multiple formats see 16% uplift in customer conversion.
"Shift to Outcome-Based Advertising: oOh!media is focusing on delivering measurable results, aligning with advertisers' increasing demand for outcome-based advertising. Through collaborations with Flybuys and Westpac, they are proving their ability to drive product sales, increase purchase frequency, and measure promotional impact effectively.
"Overall, oOh!media’s strategic investments in scale, retail partnerships, audience engagement, AI innovation, and measurable outcomes solidify its #1 ranking in Australia’s OOH advertising market. As the company continues to evolve and adapt to new market dynamics, it remains committed to providing unmatched visibility and impact for advertisers.
"This vision underscores oOh!media’s ambition to remain unmissable – leading the charge in a rapidly changing advertising landscape."
Carat's client director, Alessandro Vari, said it was very exciting to see oOh! announcing new contracts being secured across Sydney and Melbourne, with a clear focus on building incrementality across an already impressive network.
"Beyond this, oOh!’s new retail marketing GTM, plus a suite of fresh format ideas for driving talkability, fame, and impact, underscores the true value of the channel throughout the funnel," said Vari.
EssenceMediacom’s head of media solutions and investment for Brisbane, Melissa Miller, said oOh!media's CEO, Cathy O'Connor set the stage as she welcomed attendees to an event full of announcements, updates, and industry insights.
"The focus was clear: to showcase oOh!'s pivotal role in equipping agencies and advertisers to capitalise on the 5 Mega Trends identified in the out of home landscape," she said.
"The presentation delved into these Mega Trends, articulating why Out of Home (OOH) advertising remains an indomitable force in the marketing world. Described as unblockable, unskippable, unstoppable, and unmissable, oOh! was championed as a medium that consistently delivers brand salience, both in immediate impact and sustained long-term presence.
"The trends, identified as the power of scale, the rise of retail media, the fragmentation of audiences, the AI revolution, and the shift to outcomes-focused results, were each explored in-depth. These elements collectively underscore the resilience and adaptability of OOH, even as the digital age continues to evolve.
"oOh! announced three new tender victories: Waverly Council and the expansion of the Northern Beaches network in Sydney, as well as the addition of 13 new Large Format digital displays along Melbourne's Eastlink Motorway. These wins mark a substantial growth in oOh!'s market presence and reach.
"oOh! also unveiled an ambitious expansion plan for its Retail Media, rebranding from reooh to reo. This move was underpinned by bold projections that by 2025, retail media's reach will surpass that of linear TV.
"They announced their launch of Australia's first synchronised dual 3D screens at Martin Place and their commitment to growth and innovation in anamorphic display across the country. This is important because while extensive reach and a high volume of assets is advantageous, it's crucial to pair this with compelling and standout creative work to ensure messages resonates rather than fade into the backdrop.
"I'm particularly enthusiastic about their intention to harness AI technology, which promises to streamline the typically labour-intensive process of planning, negotiating, and activating campaigns, leading to quicker and smarter responses.
"As someone who started in the industry back when static was planned on calendar months not lunar (i.e. a long time ago) it excites me to see the continuous innovation and growth in the outdoor advertising space."
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