Are you sold on the value of outdoor advertising but unsure of what it takes to create a successful campaign? We’ve got you covered!
“>Don’t underestimate the delight of clever discovery! Often we forget that our audience loves to be entertained".
Are you sold on the value of outdoor advertising but unsure of what it takes to create a successful campaign? We’ve got you covered!
We spoke to Keith Nilsen, the founder of the dynamic digital-out-of-home content production company Voodooh, to see what elements are absolutely essential to creating effective OOH ads.
The following points come straight from Keith, and represent the ideal foundation for maximizing the impact of ads run outside of the home.
1. Simple design
Great design in OOH is always beautifully simple, and always uncluttered.
The core ethos of simplicity in design is most eloquently summarized by some delightful advice from Coco Chanel; “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off!” The Chanel brand has adhered to this principle in their advertising ever since, leading consistently with stripped-down, understated, and entirely unfussy OOH design.
2. Minimal but striking copy
Wherever possible, aim for 5 words or less within the design.
The success of this principle is evidenced in almost all recent Cannes Lions Outdoor Winners, with global giants including Twitter, Nike, McDonald’s, and Apple all stripping away everything but the absolute essentials within their OOH creative. The specific example below from the Twitter campaign remains as striking and powerful as when it was run in 2017.
3. Bold colors, high contrast
Use color to distinguish between critical elements within the creative.
Be bold! Because being subtle with color will not provide the impact you need to attract the attention of the on-the-go audience you’re trying to reach. And color is how you highlight the key areas, elements and details that will emphasize the message, as beautifully illustrated in this McDonald’s “Lights On” campaign.
4. Entertain your viewer
Don’t underestimate the delight of clever discovery! Often we forget that our audience loves to be entertained, and in outdoor environments, that is easily achieved by making space for the viewer to think for themselves and appreciate the details within a creative. There are many wonderful examples, but this recent one in the UK for B&Q, a home improvement retailer, is just outstanding. The value on offer from B&Q is very effectively conveyed without a single word, and the viewer is rewarded with small visual rewards within each execution of the campaign.
5. Add data for impact
When using Digital OOH, explore what data could enhance the advertising concept.
The connectedness of DOOH has opened up a wealth of creative opportunities, allowing different data to be incorporated into the outdoor execution. The most complex and clever in my mind is still the brilliant British Airways “Magic of Flying” campaign, which revealed a child reacting in real-time to passing BA flights. This campaign went on to win multiple Grand Prix and Gold awards at Cannes, D&AD, Clio, Creative Circle and many more, all while keeping all the aforementioned rules of design in place!
Of course, whether you’re using data to create an impactful classic print poster or a hugely complicated dynamic concept for digital, less is still more. The elementary design principles that made outdoor advertising great in the past have not changed. They’re just as relevant today, and maybe even more so, and the advertisers that adhere to them are going to fare best in the out-of-home space.
To sum all five points of advice up: Create memorable outdoor advertising. And keep it simple.
Via Broadsign
For more information on OOH and DOOH advertising, and how we can help with your next campaign, contact us today at 210-610-5012 or email customerservice@bmoutdoor.com
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