Mini Monopoly houses, tricks of the eye and more puns than you can shake a stick at. Some of the latest out-of-home advertising Down Under is worthy of a double take.
To inspire you in the lead-up to the Locus Awards, we're sharing some of the finest.
Outdoor players Adshel, Posterscope and Val Morgan have all picked their favourites to show out-of-home advertising can be far from traditional and old-hat.
We asked them what's the best ad they've ever seen on their networks.
Nicole McInnes, chief marketing and product officer at Adshel, couldn't pick one. She plumped for three – from clients Specsavers, OPSM and McDonald’s.
McInnes said: “Anyone in media loves a campaign that is designed for the context it will appear and I am no exception. My favourites on the Adshel network always use the environment to create a unique and surprising experience for commuters.
“First is Specsavers and then funnily enough OPSM. I also adored the McDonald’s Monopoly houses campaign which took a well-known annual promotion to the streets, literally.
“As an ex-creative, if it is possible to adapt to the context of the ad I believe it is always more powerful and fun. The surprise element also provides much-needed cut-through as we deal with the distracted and highly selective connected consumer.”
Cassandra Thomas-Smith, strategy and insights director, Posterscope, chose a different genre – cars.
She said: “One of our favourite campaigns this year would have to be The New Mini hatch campaign. We know from consumer insights that wit in OOH creative makes a big impact and the Mini campaign certainly ticked that box.
“Many of the creative variations ran consecutively showing Mini lovers the story through the headlines whilst, crucially, the campaign ran at effective weights, increasing the exposure of these multiple messages – on multiple formats. Plus, a Spice Orange paint job on a black background provided fantastic visual prominence.
“All these elements – clever creative, effective weights, multiple formats and high contrast simplicity – came together to make a stand-out campaign.”
And Anthony Deeble, managing director of Val Morgan Outdoor, opted for yet another genre – pets, and Val Morgan's digital campaign for My Dog.
He said: “My Dog made great use of the hyper-local targeting capabilities and content flexibility of our digital network. Over 400 different creatives were produced, driven by content captured via a consumer promotion across social media.
“The campaign ran across over 100 shopping centres, each week a different local shopper’s pet was featured in each shopping centre. The Val Morgan Outdoor network brought together an innovative idea and locally targeted creative that connected with shoppers whilst on the path to purchase. Only digital out-of-home can deliver this level of cut through and impact.”
The Locus Awards recognise creativity in outdoor advertising. The closing date for entries is 1 September – so get your entries in now. Visit the Locus Awards page for details of how to enter.
Posterscope Australia is the event's major sponsor.
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