October 2010 Newsletter

We have all been there… a big party going on, hundreds of guests, music, entertainment - but no invitation! Being creative with OOH, assures that your brand is always invited to the party.  The best strategies for identifying these creative opportunities typically involve previously underutilized OOH vehicles, for example blimps and water vessels, and also by using both traditional and alternative OOH media to target exclusive venues where the paid sponsors have become increasingly territorial. According to Forbes Magazine, in 2009 advertisers spent $11.3 billion on sports sponsorships. Arena naming rights alone accounted for $187 million across the 122 franchises in the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL. 

 

So, what do you do when your biggest competitor locks you out of the party? What is the alternative to get around the red tape in specific venues?  OOH provides a way for advertisers to make a splash in unexpected areas, events, and neighborhoods while creating eye-catching, engaging and memorable experiences for the consumer. Take the following three case studies into consideration when you want to reach consumers in venues where you don’t have an official invitation.

 

We have all seen the Goodyear blimp—one of the most identifiable and original approaches used to “get in the game.” Goodyear’s first rise above the crowds was aptly named “The Pilgrim,” and most recently “The Spirit of America.” The Goodyear blimp achieved global icon status by becoming one of the most recognizable and longest running out-of-home ad campaigns of the past 90 years. When the Goodyear blimp first appeared, it owned the airways above sports stadiums across the country, and created brand awareness on location and through broadcast exposure. Following the blueprint out of Akron, Ohio (the hometown hangar for the blimps and Goodyear’s HQ), agencies have become increasingly skilled at finding their way into the consciousness of captive audiences. (Image courtesy of Goodyear.com)

 

 

POWERADE Zero, a Coca-Cola product, signed Venus Williams as their lead celebrity athlete. This summer, POWERADE was faced with a daunting task. Their lead celebrity athlete endorser was playing in the highest profile tennis tournament in the US, with the highest attendance of any domestic tennis tournament, and two weeks of broadcast coverage. The tournament fell right at the end of vacation season and New York City was teeming with tourists. At the time of the tournament, Venus Williams’ value as a CPG spokesperson could not have been higher. She was playing well and her toughest competition at the US Open, her sister Serena, withdrew from the tournament citing injury. Venus was carrying the hopes of the host nation in one of four tennis Grand Slam events. She was the hottest ticket in the men’s or women’s draws, looking to capture her third US Open title. Sounds like a chance to create a high ROI on the endorsement deal, except for the fact that Pepsi had the exclusive non-alcoholic pouring rights at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.  Another challenge was the location of the grounds, which is far outside the city center in Flushing Meadows. The primary mode of transportation to the event was the subway - an overcrowded, steamy, hour-long ride.  By using OOH creatively, POWERADE Zero saw an opportunity and played their best serve and volley.

 

 

POWERADE Zero decided to give the consumers transportation options. They chartered large ferries, mapped a brand new waterway route, and took patrons on a scenic cruise from Manhattan to the event in Flushing Meadows. To date, POWERADE Zero is the only brand to have created a new waterway route approved for an ad campaign. The experience was great for tournament patrons as well; they avoided uncomfortable subway rides, enjoyed a free ride, and saved approximately 23 minutes on their commute to and from the grounds. POWERADE Zero took full advantage of their experiential environment during the ferry ride by sampling products and running commercials on multiple digital screens during breaks in the onboard tournament coverage. The campaign was a big hit. They created quite a buzz with 600,000 blog post and Tweets, 4,785 ferry riders and 64 media outlets picking up the story. (Source: OAAA)

 

 

Another company took a product and used out-of-home advertising in a unique way to reach potential customers where they least expected it. Johnsonite has been providing innovative custom flooring solutions to help businesses meet their objectives. The company has made innovation a main tenant of their mission since the early 1920’s. Today, the company takes a “big picture look” at providing solutions aimed to attract and retain the best talent for companies. You may be thinking “it’s just flooring,” but at Johnsonite their passion and commitment to their mission is clearly projected in their latest campaign, Possibilities². 

To display Johnsonite’s custom capabilities Marcus Thomas, a Cleveland ad agency, identified venues that fit the flooring company’s traditional client profiles using non-traditional applications. It was important that these venues had flexibility and an aesthetic look that normally would not coincide with a custom flooring outfit. Johnsonite flooring was applied to residential driveways, bowling alleys, skate parks, gas stations, municipal piers and miniature golf courses. This OOH campaign goes beyond the traditional application of a unique, one-time customer interaction. It created a fresh brand image for Johnsonite, and after the OOH campaign the images are still being used on the company’s website and print communications.