Global OOH round-up: where traditional meets technological

This month, Creative Culture has rounded up a selection of OOH campaigns that are redefining this traditional form of marketing, proving that it still has a very relevant piece of the advertising pie, worldwide.

Instead of completely abandoning this form of advertising, many successful marketers have been putting an innovative spin on what makes an outdoor campaign.

Netflix GIF campaign in France
Refusing to view this channel as a marketing hindrance, the globally expanding Netflix brand recently decided to merge the old with the new. Following the likes of Grumpy Cat and many others, the VOD provider created a series of hilariously applicable memes, played on screens throughout Paris – the GIF videos depict famous TV stars (whose shows run on the Netflix service), reacting live to current news and weather.

The company’s aim was to celebrate the launch of Netflix service in France – an accomplishment that surely turned heads.



As concern for overall health, safety and security becomes a growing priority for consumers across borders, they are also becoming more willing to back brands that support these concerns. We recently came across one brand in India that responded to this call by way of outdoor.

Halonix billboard campaign in India
Halonix Technologies is amongst the country’s fastest growing residential and institutional lighting company. Their mounting recognition throughout this region can partly be attributed to its recent campaign, which found an incredibly relevant opportunity to advertise its product capabilities, whilst impacting the target market in a positive way. In a city known by many to be the rape capital of India, the brand tackled this social issue by completely rethinking what a traditional billboard is capable of achieving.

Embracing a simple mission to provide light throughout India, Halonix-lit billboards were strategically placed in the darkest streets of Delhi – making its inhabitants feel a bit safer during their walk home. The OOH campaign was not only successful in dramatically increasing visibility of the brand, but it also helped to solve a very local challenge.



Doing good is done in many different ways. More directly, an OOH campaign can make a positive impact by creating billboards that turn humidity into drinking water or filter polluted air (two initiatives created last year, by UTEC), but creating shared value can also be found in less tangible ways, such as putting a smile on face of a commuter, heading to work.

Smart dancing in Portugal
Armed with the goal of decreasing traffic/pedestrian incidents, the Smart brand created an entertaining break for commuters waiting to cross the street, in Portugal.

Putting a twist to the traditional illuminated red character on the crossing signal, the brand literally brought life to the sign, with the help of Lisbon locals. A walk-in booth invited participants to dance to their favourite music – a silhouette of their dance was then projected in the nearby street sign – creating an impromptu show for passers-by.




Bill the billboard in Kenya
Another example of this can be found in Nairobi, Kenya, where Sprite enlisted the talent of Bill the billboard, to bring gridlocked commuters an unexpected laugh. The cheeky digital billboard represents an opportunity for the brand to create a unique and memorable experience for its target audience: meet Bill!



Out-of-home has certainly come a long way from the more traditional mad men days. It has taken significant evolutionary steps forward, thanks to technological advancements, innovative thinking and a refined focus at the local level.

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