The best DOOH campaigns in the history of advertising

DOOH makes it possible to broadcast multimedia advertising content on different types of indoor or outdoor screens. The success of a DOOH campaign relies on the sharing of targeted, but above all, perfectly contextualized content. Find out more about DOOH and how it works, and discover four DOOH campaigns that have made the most of its features.

What is a DOOH campaign?

DOOH, or Digital Out-Of-Home, refers to outdoor advertising campaigns broadcast on digital screens. They can be found in urban spaces, on pedestrian walkways, in bus or metro stations, in tunnels, but also in stores and shopping centers, museums or sports halls. A DOOH campaign involves the broadcasting of dynamic content such as videos, photos, posts on social networks or RSS feeds, for informational, promotional or advertising purposes. DOOH campaigns are managed by advertising agencies, who optimize and guarantee the transmission of communications in real time.

Creativity and context for better performance

A DOOH campaign multiplies the memorability of messages broadcast by targets, compared with traditional static displays. The drawing power of screens was highlighted by a survey conducted by the Club du Digital Média and IFOP, on the perception of French people of display advertising screens. In 2021, 70% of respondents said they paid attention to content broadcast on digital screens. This figure reflects the capacity of screens to become high-impact communication channels. It's therefore in the interest of communicators to take advantage of this format to develop their messages creatively. DOOH campaigns have the ability to interact very closely with their audience and their environment, offering unlimited possibilities for surprising and seducing targets.

Or, il ne suffit pas seulement d’être présent pour convaincre, inciter ou engager : il faut également diffuser le bon message à la bonne cible au moment opportun. Un message obtiendra un meilleur taux de rétention s’il est diffusé en contexte, au plus près d’une audience parfaitement ciblée et qualifiée. Ainsi, la solution Cenareo permet la diffusion de contenus ultra-ciblés et contextualisés grâce aux APIs d’applications tierces. En les interconnectant, elle autorise la diffusion de campagnes DOOH pertinentes en fonction des conditions météorologiques, de la géolocalisation ainsi que des types et des flux de trafic. La solution Cenareo dédiée au pilotage de l’affichage dynamique extérieur travaille en synergie avec les SSP Hivestack et VistarMedia, afin de profiter des performances de l’achat programmatique. Les détenteurs d’écrans valorisent ainsi leurs espaces disponibles pour dégager des revenus supplémentaires, tout en garantissant un fort ROI aux clients.

The best DOOH campaigns in the history of advertising

Many retailers and brands use DOOH campaigns to promote their products or services. They rely on the ability of a DOOH campaign to share highly targeted, impactful and interactive ads, with content that can be adapted to suit the context and audience, to targets on the move.

McDonald's

During the summer of 2019 in the UK, fast-food chain McDonald's ran a DOOH advertising campaign that adapted to weather conditions in real time. Usingdigital signage and on-screen sensors, McDonald's promoted two signature iced drinks, Strawberry Lemonade and Millionaire's Frappe. When the air temperature exceeded 22°C, the broadcast loop was activated to promote these drinks with animated video content. This is an excellent example of a DOOH campaign contextualized with the environment of passers-by, relying on weather data to maximize the effectiveness and relevance of the campaign to promote its beverages.

Watchmen

To promote the release of the "Watchmen" series, the HBO channel made its mark with a differentiating DOOH campaign based on augmented reality on the streets of New York. Digital signage screens placed on bus shelters detected the arrival of passers-by, then warned them that a rain of octopuses - in reference to a scene from the series' trailer - was imminent. The surrounding area was filmed by an integrated camera and displayed on screen, while the octopus rain was integrated into the outdoor environment in real time. The DOOH campaign also included countdowns to the broadcast of the first episode. This interactive campaign placed the viewer in the abyss, projecting him or her into the world of the series. It took advantage of the waiting time of passers-by wishing to use public transport to surprise them, captivate them and offer them an entertaining experience that will make them want to watch the series.

Spotify

To support and promote the release of singer Maren Morris' new album "GIRL", Spotify rolled out a DOOH campaign on iconic streets in Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas and New York. The operation was based on the real-time broadcasting of users' social network publications posted with the hashtag #SHAREYOURCROWN, in the style of a social wall. A Snapchat filter was created to coincide with the announcement of the release of the artist's second album. Users were invited to take a crowned selfie using the filter, then share the result using the hashtag. Their posts were then relayed on monumental billboards placed in high-traffic areas. The campaign generated a high level of engagement, capitalizing on the unifying power of social networks.

Nike

Nike offered a unique, immersive experience to visitors to its stores in several Asian cities, with the DOOH Nike React 2.0 campaign. A treadmill was positioned in front of dynamic point-of-sale displays. Visitors were able to choose one of three courses proposed by the brand. The screen and treadmill worked in synergy to recreate the conditions of the route chosen by the visitor. In addition, sensors and a camera were used to track the runners' movements as they ran. The aim of the animation was to get participants to run while interacting with the screen by raising their arms to collect medals. This operation offered a truly phygital experience, combining physical effort in the real world with gamification through digital technology.

Do you own a fleet of outdoor or point-of-sale digital signage screens and want to make the most of them? With Cenareo, you can manage your screens from an ergonomic, easy-to-use platform, and contextualize the distribution of advertising content to increase their impact tenfold.