Revolutionizing the outdoors: creative resurgence in OOH advertising of 2023

Out-of-Home (OOH) spends have rebounded in 2023, marking a significant recovery from the pandemic-induced degrowth. The post-Covid landscape triggered a transformation in consumer habits, reshaping the overall media mix and bringing forth new avenues in OOH advertising, fuelled by technology. As the media mix adapted to evolving consumer behaviour, OOH usage across categories underwent a metamorphosis, a journey still in progress, responding to the dynamic consumer and media landscape.

Creativity took centre stage, manifesting in diverse forms—from captivating copies and billboards engaging in dialogue to tech-enabled billboards. The year witnessed an upsurge in 3D creatives, Anamorphic designs, and enhanced billboards. The advent of Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) spurred experimentation with digital creatives, amplifying the OOH creativity quotient.

Key creativity pivots included:

1. Storytelling Ascends: National advertisers moved away from repurposing print creatives for OOH, opting for freshly crafted copies tailored to the ambiance and context. This shift elevated storytelling in OOH, enhancing the timeless appeal of this classic medium.

2. Entertaining DOOH Creatives: The introduction of Roadside DOOH units in India spurred creativity, with brands and agencies exploring dynamic, enhanced, and experimental creatives, incorporating effects like sparklers, outlines, and special borders.

3. Standalone Anamorphic Creatives: Brands across consumer durables, technology, and discretionary categories embraced Anamorphic creatives, especially in metro markets, adding a new dimension to OOH communication.

4. Rise of CGOOH Advertising: Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) empowered brands to break free from reality, crafting visually unprecedented campaigns. The IPL and ICC World Cup saw numerous examples of this creative intervention.

5. Technology Integrations: Events, activations, and OOH innovations witnessed increased technology integration, with engagement-driven interventions powered by projection mapping, tech-driven engagements, QR codes, and scannable posters.

6. Classic OOH Innovations: Timeless innovations like smart 2D/3D cutouts, special lighting, protruded elements, and unique builds made a strong comeback, complemented by the extensive use of wall murals.

7. Sustainability-Infused Creativity: A green wave emerged with brands incorporating sustainability into creativity, featuring fully recyclable shelters and environmentally interactive billboards—a movement poised to gain momentum as brands collectively respond to environmental concerns.

With the dynamic changes of 2023 setting the stage, we anticipate 2024 to be a creatively led year. Fuelled by the pursuit of virality, OOH creativity is poised to raise the bar, ushering in a new era of innovative and impactful outdoor advertising.

Vinkoo Chakraborty is President, Rapport Chrome (OOH arm of IPG Mediabrands India). Views expressed are personal.