5 Things Advertisers Should Consider Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020-06-29

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous challenges for the business community, including those in the advertising industry. Amidst the huge human toll and ongoing suffering, businesses are having to change the way they operate, as well as the way they market their products and services.

Given the gravity of the current situation and the worldwide panic surrounding it, it's easy for advertisers to make critical mistakes - blunders that could stay with them long after the coronavirus crisis has passed. Here are five things all advertisers should consider when navigating the tricky waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This insightful article outlines five guidelines to help designers of new advertising and brand creatives.

Outdoor Advertising market worldwide will grow by a projected US$11.1 Billion
2020-05-27

Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the looming economic recession, the Outdoor Advertising market worldwide will grow by a projected US$11.1 Billion, during the analysis period, driven by a revised compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4%. Traditional, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, is forecast to grow at over 3.8% and reach a market size of US$38 Billion by the end of the analysis period.

An unusual period in history, the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a series of unprecedented events affecting every industry. Staying on top of trends and accurate analysis is paramount now more than ever to manage uncertainty, change and continuously adapt to new and evolving market conditions.

Levelled lockdown presents fresh opportunities for savvy OOH advertisers
2020-05-18

With the increased uptake of online operations, advertisers are expected to increasingly struggle to cut through the noise as e-commerce takes off. This is where offline media can complement online: "Studies have shown that consumers are significantly more likely to interact with a digital advert after being exposed to a billboard, or another form of outdoor media..."

Covid-19 shifts platforms for SA advertising
2020-05-01

Due to lockdown and recession in South Africa, the outdoor advertising industry has been greatly affected but Meta Media's Richard Lord makes an important point about the opportunities of branding in such a period: "We know that with the majority of companies, the first thing that gets dropped when we're in a recession is the marketing budget," he said. "My recommendation would be to not stop advertising. There's very clear evidence that shows that brands that continue to advertise through a recession come out far stronger at the end of it.

[Also see the links below to our own articles on Advertising and Innovating Through Recession, written at the time of the last recession we weathered in 2009.]

Advertising through Recession
2020-04-30

Numerous studies support the conclusion that a recession is the best of times for active advertising and the worst time to cut back on it. BDO Chartered Accountants have the following advice for South African business owners, "Don't stop advertising. This is the time to capture the hearts and minds of consumers... Robust businesses increase advertising in a recession to win customers away from their competition."

A Strategic Planning Institute study of the 1981-82 recession reported that "during recessionary periods these businesses [that advertised] tended to gain a greater share of market. The underlying reason is that competitors, especially smaller marginal ones, are less willing or able to defend against the aggressive firms."

Innovating through Recession
2020-04-30

"Innovating through Recession" is the title of an article by Prof Andrew Razeghi who advises that in times of recession business owners would do well to listen to the market, improve communication with customers, offer them greater value and use judgment to prune "bad costs". He also recommends moving longer-term projects forward in an attempt to grab market share as quickly as possible.

Appeal to outdoor media owners and municipalities
2019-12-12

When it comes to reaching audiences and delivering overall exposure, outdoor media is the best option after TV and in-store advertising, beating not just Facebook but all other media. This is according to research conducted in South Africa by Kantar, the international data company.And for brand impact, Kantar's global research shows that outdoor is the fourth most effective medium after TV, point of sale and Facebook, putting it ahead of other media like newspapers, magazines, radio and cinema.

But according to Tractor Outdoor director Andrew Stevens, "Unfortunately, the positive aspects of outdoor are being drowned out by one or two outdoor companies breaking the rules and erecting billboards without permission. This is giving rise to exaggerated negative headlines which is very frustrating for the rest of us." He added that recent headlines are not a true reflection of the industry, and that the majority of outdoor companies stand firmly with municipalities and their bylaws. He says it is in the interest of good media owners to see the bylaws applied, and that they value effective regulation and the removal of non-compliant signage.

Long term out of home advertising advantages
2018-09-02

We know through experience that sometimes an effective marketing plan involves playing the long game. Here are some of the reasons as to why booking outdoor advertising for a longer term will bring better results.
-Building brand awareness
-Booking long term reserves the best locations
-Entice new customers
-Out of home ingrains
-Outdoor advertising adds prestige
Billboard advertising costs are now more affordable to SMEs giving them the ability to use a powerful medium that was once only available to big, national brands.

World's largest billboard
2018-08-31

In February, Ford unveiled a record-breaking billboard in Madrid, Spain. The installation featured an advertisement for the new Ford EcoSport SUV, but that wasn't what made it such a huge deal. The billboard measured approximately 56,672 square feet square feet, making it the worlds largest billboard. For one month, the advertisement proudly inspired Madrid with the bold statement, "Life is out there. Are you?" It was awarded the official Guinness World Record for Worlds Largest Billboard soon after installation...

Facebook Spends Its Cash on Billboards
2018-08-08

Silicon Valley's going old school. As tech companies like Facebook Inc. and Google vacuum up billions of dollars in online advertising, they're pouring their own marketing dollars into billboards and other forms of outdoor signage. That's driving growth in one of the oldest forms of marketing and is one reason why the category is the only traditional channel expected to grow this year.

Alliance Media brings clean water to communities in need
2018-06-06

663 million people in the world live without clean water. That's nearly one in 10 people worldwide. For people in developing countries, clean water can change everything. Charity: Water is a non-profit organisation bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. They are a passionate community of world-changers who are working toward the day when everyone has clean water to drink. Alliance Media is proud to support and donate financially to this worthy cause.

The uptrend of outdoor advertising
2018-06-02

OUTDOOR advertising, which is one of the oldest advertising platforms, is still drawing advertisers' attention at a time when online ads are fast eating into the market share of other advertising platforms. Despite the challenges, the outdoor advertising and out-of-home (OOH) segment is still making its presence felt in the competitive advertising landscape. The Outdoor Advertising Association of Malaysia (OAAM) president Henry Low tells StarBizWeek that advertising expenditure (adex) for outdoor advertising as well as the number of sites are still growing.

13 Billboards Call Out How Much Money Politicians Got From The NRA
2018-04-21

This month grassroots gun reform group Survivors Empowered launched a campaign called "30 Billboards Outside Cowardly Incumbents", inspired by the movie "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri". The group bought ad space on 13 billboards in nine states, from California to Iowa to Alabama, and are fundraising for 17 more. Each sign lists the name of a local member of Congress and how much money they've received from the gun lobby group.

The Future of Outdoor Advertising
2018-03-22

In this article Nadja Lossgott (Creative Director at AMV BBDO) explores the past, present and future of Out Of Home Advertising.

"Outdoor Advertising is here to stay and what's more, Nadja argues, it will outlast other forms of media which are currently under threat. In focus groups people will remember seeing a brand's new television ad, even though no such ad has been on air. It turns out that what people are recalling is the billboards they pass each and every day. People don't forget billboards. Although they sometimes mislable them. They might not be shiny, they might not be new, but billboards are real workhorses. We shouldn't dismiss them. The other good thing about billboards is you can't adblock the view.

If you think you have a campaign that deserves a Pencil, enter your work into the D&AD Awards (24-26 Apr, London) and see if our judges agree. When it comes to awards, nothing matters more."

10 Reasons Billboards are Marketing Brilliance
2018-01-16

Billboard marketing gives brands the opportunity to think outside of the box. This is what sets this kind of outdoor advertising apart as one of the most successful marketing platforms of all time. Incredibly dominant, and strategic in their placement, billboards have the power to take a business to new heights. Here are just a few reasons why billboards are pure marketing brilliance.

Primedia Outdoor harvests their two new food gardens in Gauteng and KZN communities
2018-01-15

After the successful implementation of two food gardens in conjunction with Primedia Outdoor and NGO Food & Trees for Africa, Siyamnaka Youth Centre in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal and Balebogeng Higher Primary School in Mamelodi were able to reap the rewards of their hard work. The food gardens were established in March and June 2017 respectively, and are part of an ongoing drive by Primedia Outdoor to promote food security and skills transfer. To this end, Primedia Outdoor has partnered with Food & Trees for Africa since 2011 and has actively been involved in establishing six other vegetable gardens at schools and youth centres in various parts of South Africa.

Balebogeng Higher Primary and Siyamnaka Youth Centre receive biweekly training on permaculture and support from Food & Trees for Africa to maintain the gardens as long-term sources of nutrition. Primedia Outdoor staff visit regularly visits to make sure that everything is in order and to lend a hand. Kennedy Tshabalala, a Prime Media executive said, "Education is key. We previously donated school uniforms, stationery and computers to schools, but realised that for the children to excel, they have to be fed. No one can learn effectively on an empty stomach. We are happy that both Balebogeng and Siyamnaka continue to dedicate their time and energy to keep the gardens flourishing. This success proves that we are all working together effectively for the benefit of the children and the community."

Out of Home in a space of its own and growing
2017-12-01

The proliferation of various types of location data and new technologies has moved the Out of Home (OOH) industry into a space where new opportunities are prevailing. OOH is now a well measured media channel. This development, and other key aspects, can be attributed to the successful application of the OMC Roadside Outdoor Audience Data (ROAD) measurement system.

According to Media strategy expert, Trish Guilford, "In the past, OOH was considered hard to plan, buy and measure; all that has changed now. The investment OMC members have made in the new measurement system is going to pave the way for making planning easier, smarter, and more targeted. The tools we are providing to the industry are easier to use than the legacy platforms and by using the data we have available, we are able to measure OOH advertising exposure."

Illegal outdoor advertisers in Joburg now face prison
2017-05-17

The City of Johannesburg is coming down hard on illegal outdoor advertisers who have been costing the metro tens of millions of rand in lost revenue every year and creating a safety and environmental hazard. The City will, with effect from 1 June 2017, implement tough by-laws that will not only regulate the industry but will also result in the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of owners, directors and senior executives of non-complying companies.

It is estimated that about 78% of advertising signs in Johannesburg currently are illegal. This has created a safety hazard for the public and impacts negatively on municipal infrastructure as the erection of such signs cannot always be monitored. Existing by-laws do not allow for signs and billboards to be erected without the City's permission. Wrap advertising signs in residential areas are also illegal. However, the provisions of the current by-laws do not go far enough to deter advertisers from contravening them, often leading to protracted court battles at great cost to the City...

Absorbent Billboards that Reduce Air Pollution
2017-05-15

Hot on the heels of Toyota's Eco-Billboards in the U.S. comes another air-cleaning outdoor innovation from Europe. Italian outdoor media company Urban Vision has developed the system, named Ad/Sorbent. It wraps billboards in a fabric, called The Breath, that captures and then absorbs air pollution from traffic.

The Breath is owned by technology company Anemotech and it was originally created mainly for indoor use, but Urban Vision tested it outdoors for one month in October 2016 and analyzed the results. It followed up the test with a series of billboards in Rome, Milan and London highlighting the technology in a campaign by Ogilvy Italy. The wording on the ads claims that the boards don't sell cars, but make thousands of them "disappear" (using figures extracted from the test). The campaign started in February, and is currently still running in London's Leicester Square.

Upper Highway bag initiative
2017-05-02

KAMERS/Makers, the biggest pop-up treasure trove of handcrafted creativity in South Africa, identified an opportunity to support the Durban-based Uzwelo Bags initiative.

The Uzwelo Bags initiative, spearheaded by Expand a Sign, sees thousands of metres of their waste textile fabric donated to teams of sewers from underprivileged backgrounds to make unique and truly South African bags and earn a living that puts food on the table for their families, funds education and provides dignity and upliftment for their communities on a long-term basis. KAMERS/Makers ordered ten thousand Uzwelo shopper bags per show.

Movie: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing
2017-03-25

The first movie with a billboard as a main character has been released and is expected to have a profound influence on the perception of billboards. Frances McDormand plays the role of a grieving mother who's fed up with the lack of momentum on her daughter's murder case so rents three billboards outside the town, criticizing the local police. Specifically, she calls out the popular chief of police, played by Woody Harrelson.

Billboards give advertising a high in Newcastle CBD
2017-03-15

Portfolio Councillor for Development Planning and Human Settlements, Matthew Shunmugam explained the pylons for the billboards had been erected on Hardwick and Allen streets, among other arterial routes. The purpose of these structures is primarily income generation.

Cllr Shunmugam said billboards were found all over major cities such as Durban and Johannesburg, owing to their bright and eyecatching nature. The municipality wanted its clients to compete on that same stage. According to Cllr Shunmugam, the billboards will be controlled through the Outdoor Advertising Policy in terms of usage conditions and tariffs. He added the cost of the ad was dependant on size.

"You have these billboards all over the country. Newcastle High School has erected one, but we need them at all major centres. That is what we are working towards - giving appeal to the town."

South Africans facing a crisis of aspirations
2017-02-09

South Africans are facing a "crisis of aspirations and income immobility" according to the latest Aspirations Study from UCT's Unilever Institute of Advanced Marketing.

"Everybody has a different understanding of what aspirations are. Aspirations differ in different market segments and are continually changing and evolving due to circumstances. Marketing is a way of fulfilling people's aspirations and the challenge for marketers is to understand what their consumers' aspirations, which are always way above their present situation, really are," said Professor John Simpson, director of the Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing. When aspirations aren't met, that results in frustration. This plays out in different ways: resignation, desperations, anger, blame or moving the goalposts, which leads to "a crisis of aspirations".

Marketers need to appreciate what their consumers' aspirations are, in order to understand how they can adapt their marketing and communication strategies to improve consumers lives through product development and brand positioning. "What came through in our research time and time again, is a mismatch of what marketers think consumers are aspiring to, and what they actually are aspiring to," said Simpson.

Australia Day billboard crowd-funding success
2017-01-19

Australians donated nearly $10,000 an hour on Wednesday to reinstate an Australia Day billboard pulled after a social media backlash, in a movement hailed an emphatic victory for tolerance over bigotry. Now, opponents of the Melbourne billboard face seeing the image of two young girls in hijabs celebrating Australia Day in every capital city in the lead-up to January 26.

A crowd-funding campaign to return the billboard passed $100,000 last night, less than 12 hours after it began. On Tuesday morning it continued to climb, reaching almost $113,000 at 7.30am. The vast majority of funds donated came from people who contributed just $10, $20 or $50 at a time. Now, campaign co-ordinator Dee Madigan said the cash will be used to fund multiple billboards featuring the image of the smiling young girls in the lead-up to Australia Day on Thursday.

40 must-see examples of billboard advertising
2017-01-06

Sometimes, having a brilliant design portfolio just isn't enough – you need to think bigger. And that's where billboard advertising comes into its own. Large and prominently placed, art directors and ad agencies are continually thinking of new and innovative ways to use them to grab the attention and imagination of their target audience. The following brilliantly creative examples of billboard design do exactly that. Which is your favourite? ...

Everyone a changemaker and how it’s making an impact
2016-12-06

Why is the concept: “Everyone a Changemaker” essential to the world? This was just one of the many questions asked at a Changemaker Cultures @ Work session recently. Participants also grappled with themes around what role they play in enabling empathy, team of teams, leadership and creative problem solving, how the youth should not just be served but entrusted to lead and how innovations can be collaboratively scaled to create a systemic impact.

Stakeholders from across the Ashoka ecosystem came together for the session including the Ashoka Fellows and leading social entrepreneurs, Changemaker Schools, influential leaders from the public, private and citizen sector organisations, media gurus, active citizens as well as young active Changemakers. They were all asked to collaborate and engage, finding practical solutions on how to dramatically increase the number of problem-solvers with confidence, ability and support to drive positive change in their communities and beyond.

The purpose? A collective initiative, calling on every South African to become an active and citizen and to make Everyone a Changemaker...

Spotify: 'Thanks 2016, it's been weird'
2016-11-29

Spotify has launched a global outdoor ad campaign with the tagline "Thanks, 2016. It's been weird," AdAge's Creativity reports. Different versions of the ads, which will be rolled out across 14 markets, contain localized messages from Spotify, driven by data from listeners and pop-culture topics relevant to events from 2016.

Eish, it’s lekker when billboards talk the lingo
2016-11-18

South Africa is home to a multitude of cultures and languages. Many advertisers and marketers have adopted the use of local languages and dialects to engage with their audiences. Terry Murphy, from Primedia Outdoor, says the majority of out of home (OOH) advertising is executed in English, even though this is not the first language of most South Africans. ...

“When talking to your audience your message will be more impactful if you deliver it in the audience’s home/spoken language”, says MediaCom strategist, Estiaan Robbetze. “As Nelson Mandela said, ‘if you talk to a man in a language that he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language - that goes to his heart’. It also creates the perception that your brand is talking to the consumer on a personal level, rather than to the broader public.”

While the difficulty and cost required to reach people in their home languages can be prohibitive when using other visual media (television, for example), incorporating local languages on billboards is easy. And because a billboard is location specific, reaching people with the appropriate language is simpler. ...

Why OOH is Set to be Adworld’s Strongest Contender in 2017
2016-11-14

No matter where you look, all the signs point towards Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising competing with the dominant players in the media landscape in 2017. According to the latest Advertising Association and Warc figures, ad spend in digital OOH has grown 30.5% in the last year alone, demonstrating mounting confidence from advertisers in how digital technology is transforming the effectiveness of the medium. We’ve come a long way but now, more than ever, is the time for OOH to invest heavily in its future and lead from the front...

Lessons Outdoor Ad Media Needs to Learn from Mobile's Woes
2016-11-04

Among the media industry, it's generally believed that digital platforms offer more data transparency and value than offline, but today's new breed of out-of-home advertising (OOH) platforms are starting to challenge that belief. Until relatively recently, OOH has been a strictly analogue industry, but now it's catching up with Web and mobile to support tracking for view metrics, programmatic ad buys and the use of beacons and their tracking view metrics....

Brand activation fosters engagement and inspires consumers to act
2016-09-28

Brand activation is the physical manifestation of storytelling that combines personal interaction with visual narrative. Once the context, format and setting is determined focus on the mechanics of bringing the brand to ‘life’ and encouraging the target market to engage and interact with the product or service. To make a meaningful impact, drive affinity and inspire consumers to act, one should consider the following: Why would the audience pay attention to the campaign? Why should they engage? What factors should be considered? Truly understanding the market and its challenges will give insight into consumer preferences, how and where to communicate with different audiences, thereby enhancing on-shelf presence, brand recall and market share.

Location: Find a space you can ‘own’
The location must be easily accessible, visible and have a presence where there is a high level of traffic or footfall... An outdoor platform presents an occasion to create hype about the brand and its offerings. Rather than ‘pushing out’ content about the features of a product or service, the activation area can be used to ‘pull audiences’ and immerse themselves in a truly captivating experience.

Target Market: The brand should be relevant and reflective of the values of the audience

Knowledge: Have a firm grasp and understanding of linking content to real-life, ‘bigger picture’ scenarios

more: www.zinto.co.za

The only thing consistent about research is... nothing
2016-08-11

AMPS is effectively gone. LSMs are no longer relevant and the Establishment Survey is launching in 2017. What’s a media planner to do asks Isla Prentis, business unit manager at The MediaShop...

In 2017, there will be no new AMPS launch. Rather we will be exposed to the very first Establishment Survey (ES). In July 2016, the survey went into field and in less than a year we will be deep diving through the results on behalf of our clients. The ES will be a central database for all research that we work with in future. It will help us to establish the core demographic data for which we base our target audience understanding. However, it will not have the same detail that AMPS had – but that’s no cause for concern. There will be several surveys that hook into the ES and these will provide us with the different additions that we are used to having. The fusion hooks created in the ES will allow us to compare data across different surveys as if they were combined in a single source....

Expand a Sign launches I Believe* campaign
2016-07-05

Expand a Sign recently launched their I Believe* campaign that predominantly centres around the belief in their people (staff and clients) and their four core values: quality, service, innovation and passion. The campaign will be utilised throughout all marketing elements including website, social media, print and online advertising, as well as mailers.

The clever inclusion of the asterisk indicates that there is more than meets the eye, more going on than you may realise, or that you are getting something extra. The word ‘asterisk’ comes from the Greek word for ‘little star’, indicating that Expand a Sign reaches for the stars in terms of innovation, and that only the best is good enough.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExpandaSignSA

Street Sleeper… from billboards to sleeping bags
2016-06-29

The number of homeless people in South Africa is constantly on the rise. Using a combination of ingenuity and clever design, Street Sleeper is working to tackle challenges faced by the homeless. More than just a product, Street Sleeper is a social enterprise that upcycles PVC advertising billboards into survival sleeping bags for the homeless, providing protection against the elements at night and doubling as storage backpacks during the day.

Oliver Brain is the inventor behind the Street Sleeper bag. His ultimate goal is to raise awareness around homelessness and the economic disenfranchisement that goes with it. By applying his mind to some of the challenges faced by those sleeping rough, he came up with the perfect material to shield them from the harsh outdoor elements – PVC advertising billboards destined for landfill. He has since been ‘upcycling’ the discarded materials by transforming it into survival sleeping bags. The Street Sleeper social enterprise upcycles the PVC advertising billboards into survival sleeping bags that provide protection against the elements at night and double as backpacks during the day. Transforming the negative impact of waste into immediate relief of those living on the street, bundled up in the long-term vision of enabling positive change in their lives.

The brains behind the design is Chawal Wadi, a sewing machine operator from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has been instrumental in transforming the billboard materials into bags. “The design brief that I set myself in creating the bag, was to create a sustainably-sourced urban survival sleeping bag,” Brain says. Through understanding the homeless way of life, a few clever adjustments even ensured the bags become much more than just a bed. By gifting a bag for R150, you not only give one homeless person, personal shelter, the impact is felt far wider. The production process creates employment, for homeless people as well as local businesses involved in the bag manufacturing. The Haven Night Shelter in Woodstock, Cape Town is currently the main distributor of Street Sleeper bags.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/streetsleeper.org
Website: http://www.streetsleeper.org/ 

OAAA: Why Revenue, Ad Spend Reporting Are Critical to OOH Growth
2016-06-28

By outpacing all advertising media other than digital media (mobile, social, online), the OOH industry has now posted 24 consecutive quarters of growth and is positioned to remain number two in total growth among core media through 2016, according to Magna Global.

As OOH continues to increase ad spend revenue, our industry needs to become as transparent as possible to further engage advertisers. Revenue performance is one of the most critical forms of measurement available to benchmark our success...

Audio & Out Of Home Media Offer Strongest Opportunity To Impact Purchasing
2016-06-14

MEDIAVEST | SPARK and iHEARTMEDIA have partnered on a joint analysis that measures the correlation of various media and how they influence consumers’ purchase decisions. The results reveal that although there are slight variances across certain categories and consumer segments, overall, audio and out of home advertising prove to exhibit the strongest opportunity to influence consumer purchase decisions shortly before they happen. The study measured consumers’ use of different media on the path to purchase against the following: audio, out of home, print, TV, digital video, search, and social media.

“What was so fascinating about these findings is that in an increasingly digital world, audio and out of home advertising still dominate in terms of influencing consumer purchase habits across different stages, categories and targets,” said PUBLICIS MEDIA SVP/Research HELEN KATZ.

Out of home industry challenges media buyers in a post-online world
2016-06-02

To Barcelona for the FEPE International Congress, a line-up of the world’s top out of home media owners, agencies, technology suppliers and some clients. Out of homers are a ‘glass half full’ breed but one of the things that’s been interesting so far is the way current doings in the world of online media buying are impacting even a medium like of out of home, relatively unaffected by the surge of money online.

Three disagreeable consequences of online surfaced, most notably in a panel on ad blocking chaired by Matthew Dearden of Clear Channel and comprising former ISBA media head Bob Wootton, Posterscope supremo Annie Rickard and James Mitchell, a senior planner at Mcgarrybowen London.

The first was the growing lack of trust in and tolerance for advertising, fuelled by the horrible online and mobile ads that you can now, mercifully, block. Another was the apparent tolerance of non-performing, invisible or crooked ads in the online world on the part of some advertisers and agencies. As long as it’s cheap who cares if it’s there or not, seems to be the attitude of many.

The third was the eagerly anticipated day when advertisers will be able to address customers individually. Digitally enable screens can actually help you do this so out of homers don’t have an ideological problem with it. What they don’t like is the assumption that reaching other people as well is a waste. As someone from the audience observed, this is confusing advertising with direct marketing. Great advertising achieves great things by spreading its impact generously.

Exclusive ad spend trends report
2016-05-30

Out-of-home in Australia experienced advantageous growth in the past five years, reaching a high of $679 million in 2015. Seven out of 10 OOH sectors showed increases in 2015, compared with the previous year, and retail overtook finance to be the lead sector for OOH with a healthy 14% increase in investment.

Non-alcoholic beverages was the standout performing sector with a 37% increase in 2015 to $32 million. Overall OOH experienced a 25% increase in the past five years, demonstrating that new technology and innovative formats are supporting growth for the medium. Notable increases in spend came from Samsung, which almost doubled its spend and Optus owner, SingTel, which increased spend by 38%.

Inclusion of SMMEs in outdoor advertising space critical
2016-05-11

Emerging players in the lucrative outdoor advertising industry in Johannesburg have called for the “levelling of the playing fields” in order for them to participate meaningfully and grow. The call was made at the Outdoor Advertising Indaba organised by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), on Tuesday May 10...

According to JPC Managing Director Helen Botes, the City has more than 30 000 forms of street furniture and street poles, 732 billboards, 3 800 signs and 130 cellular masts and antennae. However, of the 732 billboards, 156 are illegal and 557 are not compliant with by-laws, costing the City millions of rands in lost revenue. Botes said legal action against by-law transgression was usually time-consuming and costly. She said it was therefore important for the industry and the City to create partnerships to regulate the industry. “The industry has progressed significantly over the past two decades, which was to be expected with the economic growth of the city. However, recognised SMMEs have not increased by number or diversity. At least 95% of billboards are owned or controlled by less than 5% of media players,” Botes said.

Create Welcome with goa and MDA
2016-04-07

Queensland’s largest signage and digital billboard company, goa, have partnered with Queensland multicultural organisation MDA, to bring to life the #CreateWelcome campaign. From 1 April to 30 June, interactive multimedia billboard messages will be welcoming refugees and people seeking asylum to Australia, alongside a surge of social media support from some leading personalities.

“goa is using our network of multimedia billboard technology to help create a positive social environment in Queensland, welcoming new arrivals and promoting inclusion from the broader community. Our billboard network currently reaches over two million people a week, so it is exciting to use it for the greater good on the #CreateWelcome campaign, alongside MDA’s wealth of experience in the multicultural sector,” says goa Chief Executive, Chris Tyquin.

Ad campaign: Helping creatives escape consumerism
2016-03-24

Just in time for International Day of Action Against Advertising on Friday, artist network Brandalism's gone guerrilla again: It's erected posters in bus shelters just outside Ogilvy, JWT, AMV BBDO and TBWA Manchester, with the images referencing ad classics.

"Work for TBWA?" one reads. "You're shaping desire. You've got power and a moral responsibility. We'd love to talk to you." The ads drive people to Switch Sides, a Brandalism subsite.

"We speak with people who work in corporate advertising all the time," the site says. "Many are close friends, and express regular existential doubts about the work they do. Huge industries of artistic labour, and multi-million pound budgets—all in the pursuit of... what? Another leather sofa? The latest airline deal to Rome? Your creativity could mean so much more."

In addition to showing more photos from the execution, the manifesto continues:

• Right now, the world faces multiple social and environmental crisis. Our rent is unaffordable, wealth inequality is growing, thousands are drowning in the Mediterranean sea and the climate is destabilising at a faster and faster rate. We cannot consume our way out of these problems.


• We need your skills and your passion. Not to sell us more Snickers bars or BP's latest sponsorship deal... but to change the world. We need more art directors, copywriters, strategic planners, graphic designers, 3D artists, developers and project managers. We need all of you. We have a battle to fight. But this not a battle against desire. We want more from life, not less.


• This Friday 25 March 2016 is an international day against advertising—called by our friends in France. It's a perfect day to consider what you do for a living and your role in the world. You might think, "It's easy for your to say, but I need to earn a living." And you're right, it's easy for us to write these words. Conversion, as all advertisers know, is not a simple process. We have mortgages to pay, children to support, parents to satisfy and status to uphold. We know these pressures. Many of us have worked in the industry. But we escaped the shackles of commercial marketing and fled to the worlds of community activism, environmental sustainability, refugee solidarity and artistic-political praxis. Although just a first step, confronting our responsibilities has allowed us to prioritise our personal beliefs over our corporate, career-driven selves. The sense of relief was astonishing.


• If you'd like to continue the conversation, then please get in touch with the email address at the bottom of this page. We promise to protect your anonymity. Where and how we take things from here, we're not quite sure.


• But we'll be waiting.

more here: Ad Campaign Targeting People Who Hate Themselves for Making Ad Campaigns

Billboards Track Behaviour of Passers-By
2016-02-29

Billboards across the country [USA] will soon begin to spy on the behavior of passers-by and sell that data to advertisers. Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, which owns tens of thousands of billboards nationwide, is on Monday announcing plans to use people's cell phones to allow its billboards to track the behavior of everyone who walks or drives past the ads. The marketing behemoth is partnering with AT&T and other companies that track human behavior to collect data on viewers' activity, which advertisers could then use to create hyper-targeted ads—similar to how websites track visitors through their browsers and sell that data to online marketers.

The problem, say privacy advocates, is that most people when out in public will have no idea that their every move is being recorded and analyzed and sold for marketing purposes. When similar ads that used smartphones to track behavior were installed in phone booths in New York City in 2008, there was loud public outcry and the billboards were quickly removed after a Buzzfeed investigation.

Indeed, even Clear Channel Outdoor Americas' own spokesman conceded to the New York Times that the company's new service does "sound a bit creepy." Critics also note that the use of smartphone data to track the behavior of unsuspecting passers-by poses specific risks to children, who are more susceptible to advertisements, studies show, and who are also using mobile phones at younger and younger ages. Fifty-six percent of children ages eight to 12 have their own cellphones, a 2012 study found.

Facial-recognition technology is also increasingly used by advertisers to track behavior in public spaces, and many people remain unaware of it. The February 2016 issue of Consumer Reports drew attention to the growing phenomenon... more here: Facial Recognition: Who's Tracking You in Public?

The story is in the Stats
2016-02-03

The #Zuma Must Fall billboard in Cape Town was viewed by millions of people. Not people driving past the billboard which is the normal method of evaluating viewership but by photo’s and news articles that circulated the internet news and social media platforms. This certainly calls for a re-evaluation of the worth of a billboard especially if the content is good.

Brent Dyssell from IOM, the billboard owner, has delved into some of the stats and produced an analysis demonstrating how the billboard created a massive impact on both social and normal online media platforms.
...
This begs the question if – in the modern day media – car count or pedestrian count should be the only currency available to measure the effectiveness of the media? The #Zuma Must Fall billboard clearly establishes the fact that content is the driver of effective media and not the car counts alone.
...
Two conclusions:
1. Billboard owners should be more critical of the content on their billboards.
2. The future for Outdoor is to partner with online media.

Power of Billboards Confirmed in Zuma must Fall
2016-01-20

The Zuma Must Fall billboard in Cape Town again demonstrates the effectiveness of billboards. Since it went up a week ago the billboard set the media world a light. From Twitter to Radio talked about the billboard. Sadly it also motivated hooliganism on the part of the ANC which tore it down – an act that is fundamentally undermining free speech.

The billboard was deemed illegal by the City of Cape Town which says it violated its by-laws and the National Building Regulations and Standards Act. Which of course is nonsense as the site has already been in existence for over 10 years. Permission for the face which is political free speech is not regulated by the Cape Town by-laws. Independent Outdoor Media’s Brent Dyssell, the media owner, said the poster was a non-racial and peaceful form of freedom of expression.

DA challenges ANC to debate it's 'racist' billboard on unemployment
2016-01-08

The Democratic Alliance is challenging the ANC to a debate on jobs and economy following the ruling party’s description of a DA billboard as racist. “ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa’s remarks following the launch of our jobs campaign and billboard on Thursday are very telling of a party that has no plans to create jobs and grow the economy‚” Phumzile Van Damme‚ spokesperson for the DA‚ said on Friday. She said Kodwa had chosen to pull the race card rather than “intellectually engaging with the content of our billboard and jobs campaign”.

The billboard‚ which shows President Jacob Zuma’s face‚ has a ticker that starts at 1‚842‚852 and goes up by one every 112 seconds to show that a total of 774 people become jobless in every 24-hour cycle. Van Damme said the billboard contains “uncomfortable truths” for the ANC about unemployment and in response the ANC “chose cry wolf and claim racism”.

Family-owned business celebrates 100 years
2016-01-07

John Barnes and his sister Maryjane Shackelford, co-owners of Barnes Outdoor Advertising, agree the biggest challenge of their work is to convince people of its effectiveness. In a modern world driven by numbers, likes and website hits, the job of showing clients — and not just telling them — that Barnes advertising was effective required some creativity.

"We had a client once who called in to complain that no one was seeing his billboard," John said. "What we did was we flipped his billboard upside down. By that afternoon, he called and asked us to please flip it back because his phones were ringing off the hook and he couldn't stand it anymore."

Outdoor Advertising Is The New Black
2015-12-05

According to a recent report from Kantar Media, total outdoor advertising spending in the U.S. rose 2.2 percent in this year’s second quarter amid an overall 3.9 percent decline in total ad spend, including decreases for cable and spot TV advertising, online display, magazines, newspapers and network radio. And outdoor marketing spend is up for the first half of this year versus 2014, as well. But is all this tech-company spending on outdoor ads a good idea? When done smartly, yes....

Brazil gets payback on racist internet trolls by trolling them with giant billboards
2015-12-01

Racist internet trolls in Brazil are getting a dose of their own medicine after an anti-racism campaign group put up giant billboards outside their homes plastered with their comments. The trolls are being trolled by Criola which identifies the location of the commenter and then buys billboard space nearby for its ingenious way to shame.

The campaign ("Virtual Racism, Real Consequences") was inspired after the incident of news channel Jornal Nacional's black weather presenter Maria Julia Coutinho was racially abused on its Facebook page. Criola uses the geotagging feature that is on every post to identify the whereabouts of the commenter then blows-up their comments with the intention that they'll know they cannot hide behind the computer. While the shaming is in plain sight, naming isn't with the poster's name and picture blurred out.

Could the billboard benefit from the rise in ad-blocking tech?
2015-10-02

As media consumption has become more technologically diverse, so techniques for ad avoidance have become more technologically sophisticated. While for many of us, ad avoidance involves nothing more innovative than turning to the next page of a magazine, changing channels, or getting up to make a cup of tea, all of which still allow a particularly creative advertiser to recapture our attention, digital media may not be so lucky.

Ad-blocking software has been around for some time but the uptake has been slow, restricted to privacy fanatics and others ‘in the know’. But now, it’s gaining significant momentum. According to the 2015 ad blocking report by PageFair, there are now close to 200 million people using ad-blocking software around the world, with a 41% annual increase from June 2014 to June 2015 in the USA, and 82% in the UK.

Real People See Billboards
2015-09-28

The outdoor advertising industry on Monday is rolling out a new campaign meant to capitalize on marketers’ growing fears about whether the digital ads they buy are being viewed by real people.

Brands have been pouring dollars into online marketing, but are worried about ads that can be buried in corners of websites that aren’t viewable, and about computerized “bots” that goose traffic results artificially without any humans seeing ads. The new campaign from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, dubbed “Feel the Real,” makes the pitch that out-of-home ad platforms like billboards and transit shelters don’t suffer those problems.

Award winning upcycling of billboards
2015-08-12

Little Green Number is the award-winning brainchild of a passionate young social entrepreneur, Juanita van der Merwe, who is aiming to change the world for the better by not only creating unique, really funky handmade bags from up cycled advertising billboard posters thereby helping the environment, but also creating much-needed local jobs for young people in her community...

Two minions missing, others to go to hospital
2015-07-31

BRYANSTON – MNet has confirmed that one minion was deliberately removed from the billboard. In a statement made by MNet Movies they said that they first noticed that a minion was missing on 24 July. They noticed the missing minion after doing a site inspection, in preparation to have all the minions removed and delivered to the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in August. MNet Movies confirmed that there were originally 11 minions on the billboard and since the report of the missing minions first broke they have now realised that another minion has gone missing. “MNet Movies thought we were a little obsessed with minions, turns out our Jozi viewers are a little more obsessed,” the statement read....

An outdoor ad that builds itself in response to human emotions
2015-07-23

The idea of an ad evolving in response to human emotions might sound like the stuff of science-fiction but for those people who happen to pass by a nondescript poster on Oxford Street this week it is very much a reality. Big screen. Kinect sensor. Powerful PC. They’re unlikely to capture the imaginations of advertisers separately but together, crammed into an outdoor poster they form what is being billed as the world’s first artificially intelligent poster campaign.

Using the Kinect's camera, the poster is sensing everyone around it, deeming creatives successful when people look at it and unsuccessful when they don’t. As it’s tracking, the ad is switching out images, increasing and decreasing font sizes as well swapping the layout to measure what makes viewers happy, sad or meh.

Caught out? Fairfield Dairy to withdraw its ‘free range’ claims
2015-07-17

Fairfield Dairy will be withdrawing all its advertisements claiming to produce “free range” products, the National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NCSPCA) said on Thursday. This comes after the dairy was challenged by the NCSPCA before the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) after it posted billboard advertisements highlighting the free range information.

The NCSPCA questioned whether Fairfield’s claims were honest, substantiated and truthful. “The matter went before the ASA and was resolved when the dairy gave an undertaking to withdraw and remove the material,” the NCSPCA said, adding that this was moral victory. “Consumers deserve honesty,” the group said.

The World's 18 Best Outdoor Campaigns of 2014-2015
2015-06-30

The top winners for 2014-2015 at Cannes, from Cupertino to Buenos Aires including a gallery of the Grand Prix and gold Lion winners in the Outdoor category.

Upcycling old billboards for good
2015-06-27

Jaguar Land Rover and Continental Outdoor Media have partnered with E'Yako Green to recycle old billboards and simultaneously empower local communities. E'Yako Green is passionate about supporting sustainability in South Africa through the creation of local jobs and the upcycling of waste into products. E'Yako Green's suppliers are mostly local small producers or job creation or community initiatives. They partner with, mentor, and capacitate small businesses to be part of their supply chain. Part of this strategy is to identify partners in production that have the manufacturing or production skills, but lack the business know-how and ability to get to the market. One of the main roles of E'Yako Green is to mentor their production partners to develop these business skills, assist them with training and bring a sustainable work flow and in turn see real jobs created.

The 22 most out-of-the-box outdoor ads this year
2015-05-07

It may be one of the oldest forms of advertising in the world, but marketers are becoming increasingly creative with their outdoor campaigns. No longer just confined to static billboards, global brands this year have been conjuring up some truly creative interactive ads that are actually a joy to look at and play with. We've picked out some of the best so far. Expect to see them pop up again as we head into award season.

MBPT Spotlight: Billboards Still Work
2015-05-06

The OAAA issued the results of a new study which documents how out-of-home advertising can be effective in intercepting consumers near or at the point of purchase and why OOH can offer an advantage in reaching consumers as they engage with mobile devices. The report also offers up data indicating that OOH advertising can be more effective at reaching consumers on an immediate mass reach basis than almost all of the other media platforms. The report is based on survey data from mobile research tech company RealityMine.

The data finds:
• The various forms of OOH advertising each week reaches 99% of the U.S. population, edging out TV which reaches 96%
• That consumers spend 19.6 hours per week with OOH, higher than any medium other than TV (25.9)
• OOH reaches consumers in the hour before their quick service restaurant visits 57% of the time
• OOH reaches consumers in the hour before their shopping mall visits 91% of the time
• OOH reaches consumers in the same half hour as their in-store shopping activity 98% of the time
• OOH reaches consumers in the same half hour of their purchase activity 68% of the time
• Consumers report "action" responses such as in-store shopping, e-commerce, online searches, brand-related social media activity and making purchases in the same half hour as their OOH exposures 22% of the time
• Consumers at airports report action responses in the same half hour after seeing OOH ads 39% of the time
• Bus/subway/train riders report action responses in the same half hour of exposures 10% of the time
• OOH reaches consumers in the same half hour as of their online mobile activity 23% of the time more, than any other traditional medium
• OOH reaches consumers in the same half hour of online shopping activity on mobile, 42% of the time


“This deep, multidimensional study offers multiple proof points to support the value of OOH,” says Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer. “With the help of smartphones, we can demonstrate how OOH can intercept consumers who are near or at the point of purchase like no other ad medium.”

Carlsberg poster: publicity pours in for free beer giveaway
2015-04-09

Carlsberg has a history of memorable advertising, and it managed gain worldwide attention with its latest marketing stunt – a billboard dispensing free beer. The poster, at the Truman Brewery in London’s Brick Lane on Wednesday, offered visitors a half of lager from a tap located under the slogan “Probably the best poster in the world”. Drinkers were limited to one beer – and there was a plain-clothes security guard on hand to keep order.

Johannesburg tightens billboard laws
2015-03-15

The City of Johannesburg has toughened up on its outdoor advertising rules and will place violations in the same category as building hijacking, it said on Sunday. "The city is now getting tough on several offending companies - including top international brands - in a new drive to avert loss of revenue and possibly recoup some of the lost revenue as well as ensure compliance," said Jack Sekgobela, manager of outdoor advertising in the city's planning department. ...

Most of the billboards were erected at night or over weekends by unknown people. The approval process for outdoor advertising had also been streamlined with no current applications in the system to be processed or approved.

Changing the mindset of cost-cutting to value adding
2015-01-27

There are a number of issues visible when we scratch below the surface and scrutinize what it means to “cut costs”. As clients continue to brief agencies to “cut costs and work within smaller budgets” (often coupled with greater demands in terms of return on investment), it’s not necessarily because clients want value for their money, or agencies to explore alternatives, but rather simply interchanging channels and believing this cost-cutting alternative will be as effective as the initial option the agency presented. By making the advertising and media work into simply a “commodity” there is potential to have the effectiveness reduced as well...

Outdoor Advertising Company Valuations
2015-01-16

The rule of thumb is that an outdoor advertising company is worth 4-6 times gross revenue. My company has been involved in 18 sales of small, mostly rural billboard companies. The sales multiples varied from 3.2 times revenues to 13 times revenues. The median sales price was 4.9 times revenue. The sales metric for outdoor is trailing 12 months actual historic revenue.

Every seller I know wants a multiple of 12 months projected revenue as if all the boards were occupied. Every buyer I know pays a multiple only on actual revenue...

The Anti-Ad Billboard: A New Dawn For Consumer Activism
2014-12-19

If you Google “consumer activism SA” you will not find many examples, other than complaints on sites like hellopeter.com. This is not surprising, as South African consumers are notoriously complacent. It has accordingly not always been necessary in the past for large institutions to respond immediately to instances where consumers react adversely to bad service. The advent of social media has changed this, not just for these institutions but for their lawyers as well. That is, lawyers must now think out of the proverbial legal box and provide their clients with ingenious (lawful) solutions.

Cell C 'most useless service provider in SA' banner stays up
2014-11-13

The High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday dismissed an urgent application with costs by Cell C against a banner critical of service at one of its retail outlets. Judge Sharise Weiner found that the poster's damage had already been done. She also found that disgruntled client, businessman George Prokas, had alerted the network provider to his intention to erect the banner before it went up.

The apparently professionally printed banner, bearing the Cell C logo, was prominently displayed on a wall outside the WorldWear Mall on Beyers Naude Drive on November 6. "The most useless service provider in SA - Cell C Sandton City," it read. It gave the name of the franchise manager and his phone number, and claimed he had said his "unnamed executive head refuses to assist the customer". The franchise manager submitted that the statement was defamatory. However, Weiner found that in Prokas's view, what he had put up was true. She said criticism was protected as long as it held fair comment.

Out Of Home ideas that add real value
2014-09-29

I was recently looking at our new client Nedbank’s solar powered traffic light billboards initiative in Johannesburg. It got me thinking about how this platform can add value. So says Craig Wallis, group head at the MediaShop. If you have been living out of the country for the past few years, or haven’t heard about them, let me tell you how they work. A company called SenseSeven erected billboards that house solar panels and large batteries at major intersections in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg to combat the traffic chaos when the electricity goes off.

These solar panels convert sunlight into electricity that is stored in the billboard’s batteries. The entire intersection’s traffic lights are effectively ‘off-grid’ and permanently powered by the batteries. This means there’s no more disrupted electricity supply to the traffic lights due to load shedding, bad weather, poor maintenance or any other reason that affects the supply of electricity to the traffic lights. These billboards are literally keeping the economic hub of South Africa moving...

Live updates on air quality coming soon
2014-09-25

Government plans to put up billboards that will report live on the state of air in highly populated areas in the country. “If the air quality is bad, it will tell you to stay indoors, if you are part of the sensitive population… A person with asthma is sensitive… that person needs to know that they cannot be out doing their business on this day because there is an air quality problem, like veld fires,” explained National Air Quality Officer Dr Thuli Mdluli. Speaking at a media briefing on the state of air and regulation of air quality legislation in Pretoria on Tuesday, Mdluli said the billboards will also provide information on whether companies are complying with the act to keep air in a good state.

Increasing the Credible Measurement of Out of Home Media…
2014-08-26

According to Craig Page Lee of Posterscope there wasn’t a real understanding of the value of the Out Of Home Media industry up until the year 2013. “There was a fairly good understanding of outdoor media, but the gaps in the industry were measures around sponsorship, retail instore, transit nodes, building wraps and the like. As a result quite a few of the specialists in the industry weren’t reporting into AdEx and so we were seeing an under measurement by a large degree.”

Veteran media planner Gordon Muler was then commissioned by Primedia Unlimited and Outdoor to conduct a study and published a book called “Advertising in the Out Of Home Zone”. Page Lee explains that this study identified the gaps, pulled them all together and provided a good indication of what the next real look at the industry’s value is.

Art of outdoor: insights from the FEPE congress
2014-08-12

I was fortunate enough to attend this year’s FEPE International Out of Home (OOH) Congress held in Vienna, Austria. FEPE is the worldwide association of outdoor advertising companies. It was a privilege to rub shoulders with thought leaders from all over the world and immerse myself in all things related to outdoor for a few days. It was also fitting that the host city’s library houses the largest collection of public outdoor advertising in the world! In my opinion, a good reason for any outdoor advertising enthusiast to visit Vienna. One of the most important themes highlighted at the congress is behavioural targeting. Understanding human behaviour and how it has changed is the key to excellent and effective OOH....

2014 Creative Effectiveness Lions Winners
2014-08-01

Winners and shortlisted work from Cannes Lions 2014 can now be found in the all-new Cannes Lions Archive, alongside all Master Classes, TechTalks, Forums and a selection of Seminars from this year's Festival.

In Lima, a billboard that cleans dirty air
2014-07-18

In Lima, a specially designed billboard is a sign of progress on air pollution. Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin reports for Ozy that Peru’s University of Technology and Engineering (UTEC) has developed an “air-purifying” billboard.

The billboard draws foul air — the filthiest in Latin America — into a water tank and emits fresh air on the other side. UTEC estimates that the “particle scrubbing” accomplished by the billboard is as effective as 1,200 trees, the article says.

A billboard That Creates Drinkable Water Out of Thin Air
2014-04-04

This is nothing less than a revolution generation of water from nothing but thin air (and of course the most innovative advertising technique ever!). UTECH designed a billboard that can convert atmospheric humidity into drinking water through reverse osmosis in Lima, Peru where water shortage is one of the biggest problems. Peru only gets 2 inches of rainfall every year but has an extraordinarily high humidity, which is how this technological trick led to happy faces filling buckets of water and showering under the water dispenser below the billboard!!

Child rape. You can help!
2014-04-02

In South Africa, a child is raped every 3 minutes. The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children (TTBC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring abused children are protected and rehabilitated. It is this very fact that has prompted Ad Outpost to use a prime billboard to take a stand and make a difference.

Sonnet Swanepoel, CEO of Ad Outpost in quoting Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, simply could not let their powerful medium, billboards along the N1, stand aloof from helping heal our nation. Sonnet allocated a prime board along the N1 and tasked Dinesh Diar, Creative Director who heads up The Imagination Lab at Ad Outpost whose prime function is to create and conceptualize innovative ideas for OOH media. Dinesh Diar describes further the idea behind the creative, “I decided to use a flash from a light which would go on every 3 minutes to signal to drivers that a child in South Africa has just been raped. I did not want to sanitise this message and wanted to generate an emotional reaction. When drivers see the light flash, they cannot escape the reality of being informed that a child has just been raped. It’s a powerful message and I am hoping that this billboard will start a conversation that will extend onto social media, radio and television.” Adds Sonnet, and so mobilize our wonderful nation to get involved to stop this either via funds or volunteer work.

Billboards shed light on load shedding
2014-03-10

The ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) are at it again over another of the opposition's Gauteng billboards which read ‘Load shedding proudly brought to you by the ANC’. The ANC has slammed the DA for its latest campaign which blames the ruling party for last week’s load shedding. But the DA’s Mmusi Maimane says the ANC is to blame for Eskom’s problems because the government has delayed building new power stations to help boost capacity. “It’s vital that South Africans become aware of that issue and our billboards are a glow in the dark so they should continue for a while.”

Training for OOH operatives
2014-02-26

VoxVendi is a training initiative aimed at the outdoor advertising market to enhance skills and cover a variety of subjects. A total of 6 courses will be presented at various locations in Johannesburg. A Beginners course and 5 advanced courses will be presented. Click on the headling to read more on the training schedule for May 2014.

South Africa Tourism goes outdoor to welcome the Indian traveller
2014-02-17

South African Tourism (SAT), over the years, has witnessed a tremendous increase in Indian tourist arrivals to South Africa. It has appointed DDB MudraMax as its outdoor advertising partner for brand building efforts in India. Given the importance of Indian market in SAT’s global tourism growth strategy, the DDB MudraMax team was briefed to roll out an innovative outdoor campaign to position South Africa as the most preferred destination among potential Indian travellers besides extending their brand marketing outreach to a larger mix of traveler segments across key markets.

Outdoor is where you want to be in 2014
2014-01-14

In the age of sensory overload and social media dominance, the challenge for 2014 is for out of home media to continue to innovate and remain the cool kids on the block.

Outdoors is where you want to be in our beautiful country – and just like there’s nothing better than chilling outdoors at a braai with friends and family – there really isn’t anything to beat the impact a top quality, brilliantly executed outdoor campaign can create for a brand.

Sitting in horrendous traffic, listening to boring radio and BANG! You’re confronted with a real steaming cup of McDonald’s coffee that you simply can’t ignore (or you make a point of checking out the Santam billboard on Sandton Drive – which actually changes the number of days the driver has gone without texting in the traffic – to see how she’s doing).

On my wish list for 2014 is definitely MORE of these kinds of campaigns that are conceptualised specifically for outdoor and really talk to commuters and work for brands. The recent original Tabasco street pole campaign is a brilliantly executed out of home (OOH) campaign that has captured people’s imagination and created interest and conversation for this legendary 145-year-old brand....

Hungry? Buy This Billboard
2014-01-12

Richard Schaps, the chief executive of the outdoor advertising company Van Wagner Communications, does not like it when other companies let a billboard sit blank during down time (boring, he says), leave up a previous ad free after its time (devaluing the concept of billboard ads, which can cost $20,000 to $50,000 a month in New York) or slap on a “Your Ad Here” sign (“not classy”).

“I insisted we should have something beautiful,” Mr. Schaps said, adding that he hoped not only to entertain New Yorkers and promote his company, but also to educate his customers about what made an effective billboard ad. (The food signs also grace billboards in Los Angeles and Boston.) “Ours catch your eye and make you look twice — I think we do a better job than some ads,” he said....

“It worked because it used these buzzwords in branding with vanilla images,” he said. “People are so used to things with hard-core branding, and these had no logo.” Last year, Mr. Schaps told Mr. Tomlinson that he wanted something fresh. It took him a while to find something equally simple. “Outdoor ads should have big, bold colors and images and three to five words,” Mr. Tomlinson said — and be neutral enough not to offend anyone while leaving a smile on people’s faces. (Potential advertisers, he said, know these signs mean the space is available.)...

The Kugel Family: Big in Brazil
2014-01-10

It’s not every day that your family photo appears on a 15-foot storefront sign in the Brazilian Amazon. But for at least the last year, a larger-than-life version of the Massachusetts-Maryland-New York Kugels has stared down at passers-by on Sebastião Diniz Avenue in Boa Vista, the low-slung capital of Roraima, Brazil’s least populous state. The business, Credirápido Solicitações de Empréstimos, makes personal loans so the people of Roraima can buy cars or homes or take their kids to Disney World.

I had no idea the sign existed until December, when a Brazilian friend from São Paulo went to spend Christmas at her parents’ home in Boa Vista. She spotted my face from the car, forced her dad to stop, snapped a picture and emailed it to me. We easily figured out which photo the sign came from: the 2011 version of the annual Kugel family Thanksgiving Day picture, taken near my parents’ home in Cambridge, Mass. But the background had been Photoshopped, an American football cropped out and the image flipped horizontally...

SA’s first edible billboard
2013-10-17

As part of World Food Day, KOO constructed and distributed a food-can billboard in Dobsonville, Soweto. The six-metre by three-metre billboard was made out of 2 106 KOO cans. Community members lined up to witness the event and at the end, received a can as the billboard was being dismantled.

According to copywriter Nicole Glickman, who worked on the campaign, the concept was to change the way people view advertising. “Advertising is a world which is constantly demanding something from consumers but we actually wanted to use it as a way to give back to them this time around,” she explained. “We were also looking at a new sort of media and then we came up with the concept of creating a billboard that could actually feed people. In a country where 12 million people go to bed hungry every single night, it’s a beautiful thing for us in advertising to be part of an initiative that helps those people.”

Aesthetics and Effectiveness of OOH in Africa
2013-10-02

The out-of-home (OOH) medium is one of the most effective for advertisers in Africa and studies show that many African’s feel that OOH enhances their environment. This is supported by advertisers and marketers who claim that OOH is key within their media plans as illustrated in a recent survey to major brands throughout Africa conducted by Continental Outdoor.

Many studies done by different organisations throughout Africa have shown the effectiveness of OOH with regards to recall and awareness of OOH media, along with the positive perception billboards and the like have on the average consumer...

the DA ramps up its election campaign and goes high-rise
2013-09-10

Political parties are counting down to the 2014 elections and on Monday the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched the second phase of its “Know Your DA” campaign. The message: the party supports social grants, land reform and BEE “that creates jobs, not billionaires”, as its new billboard declares.

All the media moves
2013-08-29

OHMSA has announced the appointment Les Holley as executive director of the association. Holley replaces Sarel du Plessis, who has held the position for the past 12 months. Du Plessis will focus on his own business interests but will continue to provide services to the Association on a contractual basis.

Holley is no stranger to the OOH sector having served as executive director of the Association from its inception in 2002 until 2010 when he joined Continental Outdoor as general manager of their Africa Division.

Holley brings a lifetime of experience to the OOH sector. He supports the new vision and goals of the association and believes that the future of OOH is bright. “What with the advent of interactive out of home in malls and on the streets combined with the new dynamic digital technology it is really an exciting time to be back at OHMSA” he said.

Is advertising forcing you to buy things?
2013-08-26

Just looking at a lot of ads on television and radio particularly, one cannot help but come to the conclusion that the advertisers who dream up a lot of this stuff don't actually listen to the radio or watch TV. Outdoor is an exception. The standard of advertising on our roadside billboards is quite exceptional and I put this down to the fact that even advertisers can't escape having to commute to and from the office by car with the result that they not only consume outdoor advertising but understand how it works. They also get frustrated when there is so much copy on a billboard that they can't get the message before they flash by. So, they make sure that when they're creating for this medium they don't make the same mistake... [Chris Moerdyk]

What the modern consumer really wants: Less choice
2013-08-22

Jacques du Preez, MD of Provantage, unpacks the benefits of
focus, quality and simplicity in the media industry
in order to add value to consumers in this crazy, complex world we live and work in...

A look at ‘Advertising in the OOH Zone’ by Gordon Muller
2013-08-13

Gordon Muller provides a strategic guide to Advertising in the OOH Zone. Moving from the definition of OOH to the issues surrounding these limited perceptions in the industry, he takes us through what can be considered a sterling case for the platform. Key to this book is also the strategic insight he gives to media practitioners on how to target consumers effectively, for the right reasons.
...
Gordon Muller’s work firmly grasps the ever-changing OOH industry by the horns and forces a confession out of it; it tells us who it is, what it does, how much it’s worth and, most importantly, how it can be strategically used to achieve marketing objectives.

Outdoor Advertising Keeps its Head Above Water in Q2
2013-08-05

Out of home media resource the Outdoor Media Centre has released advertising revenue figures for Q2 2013, exposing a welcome and unexpected improvement on 2012 activity, despite the equivalent period last year being fuelled by the early launch of London 2012 marketing.

A total revenue increase of 5.9% year on year brings April - June 2013 up to an overall expenditure of £243.1 million. The Q2 results are described as "exceptional" by the Outdoor Media Centre chief executive Mike Baker, with managing director of CBS Outdoor UK, Jason Cotterrell, suggesting that "with more opportunities emerging, this rate of growth should show no sign of abating".

The media and Mandela Day
2013-07-18

“In 2009 we declared 18 July – the birthday of our beloved former President Nelson Mandela – as Mandela Day. We declared this day in honour of Madiba to inspire all of us to take action personally to help change the world for the better and create a sustainable movement for good in South Africa and abroad,” said President Jacob Zuma in a statement. “The United Nations honoured our country enormously by also declaring the 18th as International Nelson Mandela Day. On Madiba’s 95th birthday, all our thoughts are focused on the rich legacy he has given us as South Africans and the world,” he said. “Let us return Madiba’s sacrifices and contributions through our own efforts to build a better society. Make Every Day A Mandela Day.”

The media has taken Mandela Day to heart, not just in covering the thousands of stories generated by the world honouring our icon of reconciliation, but also by doing its bit to make the world a better place....

Nelson Mandela to Take Over Times Square
2013-07-17

In honor of Mandela's birthday, the Tribeca Film Institute is taking over the screens in Times Square that usually deluge people with advertisements. The screening is short, just a few minutes long, but starts tomorrow July 18 at 7:15 PM.

In a press release from the Tribeca Film Institute, the organization explained the Times Square project and also teased a short film omnibus that will be announced soon, in which five directors will each make a short film inspired by a Mandela quote.

All the media moves
2013-07-11

OHMSA elects new chair and deputy. AVATAR appoints head of content. Brad Jansen appointed Havas Sports & Entertainment global client director. Moving Tactics SA pursues growth strategy with new appointments. New Balance footwear, apparel sponsor of Comrades Marathon. Two new accounts for Red Carpet Concepts. Twiga Communications wins Porcupine Press. Networx PR wins AfricaCom conference. Africa Wire to reach Bloomberg Professional service....

OHMSA Elects New Chair and Deputy
2013-07-11

OHMSA today announced that they have elected a new Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Executive Committee at their Annual General Meeting held 12 June 2013 in Johannesburg. Taking over from Sydney Mangena of Comutanet, the newly elected Chairperson is Lusanda Dube. Lusanda joined Zungu Investment Company (Zico) in 2012 as an executive director. Zico is the majority shareholder of Outdoor Network as well as a prominent shareholder in Provantage. She is also a director on the board of Outdoor Network....

The shift towards values-based marketing
2013-07-01

To identify what it takes to build a brand that will survive and thrive into the future, we shifted our focus from the present day to the world in 2020. By imagining what the world will look, feel and sound like in seven years’ time, we could separate the important social shifts from the marketing fads that generate so much buzz today.

The successful brands of 2020 are more like Christianity than they are like Christian Dior: They inspire devotion, connect on a deeply emotional level and turn their consumers into evangelists who spread the message on their behalf. They inspire and engage a world that is characterised by more customer participation and complexity, more customer control and connections, and the limitations brought on by more and more corporate compliance.

The continent will have been the driver of global economic growth for more than a decade by 2020 and we hope that the smart African companies will have been outcompeting their global competitors by being closer to the ground, more relevant and more innovative. We also believe that increasingly disruptive climate change and labour relations will necessitate the growth of brands who think about things differently; who give up the zero-sum logic of the previous era and embrace a new kind of purpose-led business.

The World's Best Outdoor Ads, 2012-13
2013-06-28

A photographic look at the 75 best outdoor ads for 2012-3, starting with the Grand Prix Winner... Ogilvy & Mather's IBM billboards which functioned as benches, shelters and ramps for a smarter city.

Short, sharp, witty and on a street pole
2013-06-03

Long before there was Twitter, there were newspaper posters, or bills as they are sometimes called, condensing the news into far fewer than 140 characters and tempting motorists to grab their favourite paper and read all about it. All the major newspapers in South Africa now take advantage of the electricity poles and streetlights along major routes to hawk their headlines and motorists can often get a good idea of what’s going on in the world before they even reach their offices.

Readers tend to take these morning teasers for granted, but they are the result of much negotiation with city councils and a system that has been constantly refined over 20 years, says Paul Peters, chairman of the street sales committee of Print and Digital Media South Africa (PDMSA). Peters, who has chaired the committee since 1989, is also managing director of Allied Publishing. However, in 1990 he was circulations manager at The Star and thus became responsible for posters as we know them in this country today...

Autism billboards removed after outcry
2013-05-30

Efforts to get South Africa talking more about autism by erecting controversial billboards backfired for Autism SA (ASA) after an uproar on social networks. The offending billboards, in and around Joburg, were taken down on Tuesday and Wednesday, about two weeks after being put up.

In March, the organisation sent e-mails warning its members that such a campaign would take place, and asking for their support, help and understanding to make the campaign a success. Controversial slogans, comprising misconceptions and myths about the condition, on the billboards read “Autism is for black people”, “Autism is for white people”, “Autism is for possessed people” and “Autism is for violent people”.

“With these highly controversial statements, we’re aiming to shock people – to start a vital conversation and to get people asking questions about autism,” the e-mail said.

Ricoh turns off all signs except eco-boards on United Nations World Environment Day
2013-05-30

June 5 is United Nations World Environment Day and only the 100% eco-powered billboards in New York’s Times Square, London and Sydney will remain on. “Ricoh Global Eco Action began in 2006,” says Dierdre Fernandes, marketing, events, CSR, PR and sponsorship co-ordinator at Ricoh SA. “Its goal is to enhance awareness among group company employees worldwide and promote environmentally friendly thinking and actions.

This year our theme is: Think & Act. Think & act on your own. We encourage employees to focus on energy conservation at work and at home, host and participate in environmental events, and take other actions that reflect their concerns for the environment.” Ricoh shares information on the environmental events employees participate in through posters, Facebook, e-mail news, its environmental portal and its intranet. It also extends the movement to families and friends of employees, business partners and clients.

Creative is King for Spar Campaign
2013-05-17

When the creative is done right, billboards become a powerful platform for any brand. This was the case for food retailer Spar with a multiple billboard campaign on the R21, direction Pretoria. The campaign consists of 5 large billboards in close proximity providing motorists driving on the R21 towards Pretoria with an easy to read and striking message of: FIRM – JUICY – CRISPY – FRESH – I GET IT FRESH AT MY SPAR...

How fabric is changing the face of marketing displays
2013-04-30

Every now and again a new innovation answers a number of challenges in an industry so perfectly that it takes off like wildfire. In the display industry, this innovation is fabric. While fabric in itself is nothing new, the use of fabric graphics has enabled retail displays, business interiors and exhibition stands to become more cost-effective and more sustainable, while delivering a fantastic look-and-feel that exceeds many traditional graphic options - especially when paired with the right lighting.

I have noticed the increased use of fabric across South African malls and exhibition floors, which is great to see as it not only elevates our industry, but does so in a way that incurs less damage to our environment.

Mandela Quotes Featured on Billboards at Time Square
2013-04-27

Inspirational words from Nelson Mandela will be shown across the many electronic screens that adorn Times Square in New York City. Texts from Mandela’s speeches are put together and presented on a stunning cosmic blue background. This project highlights the impact of Mandela’s words and his global influence that transcends time, race, and generations.

This latest tribute to the former President of South Africa and leader of the anti-apartheid movement is in celebration of Mandela’s upcoming birthday. Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa. He is turning 95 this year.

Clere upcycles old billboards
2013-04-26

Body skincare range Clere has announced that all old Clere and Clere Active billboards will now be ‘upcycled’ and transformed into stylish shopping bags through partner Waste2Wow. The partnership brings marketing company, Little Green Number and Clere together to reduce waste generation from old marketing material, create job opportunities and ultimately contribute to the alleviation of poverty in South Africa.

“Every large marketing department has the dilemma of how to responsibly discard old marketing materials – and we’ve just solved ours.,” says Stacy Roberts, marketing manager for Clere.

“Living and working in South Africa, we’re acutely aware of the employment and societal issues faced, and the fact that this solution supports sustainable job creation for previously disadvantaged persons is wonderful,” she continues. Previously discarded billboard material is cut up and sewn into handy bags that are 100% handmade and weather resistant.

Reviewing growth in OOH
2013-04-25

Following the release of the Nielsen Media Research, which produces the statistics from measured and reported advertising spend across the seven major media sectors, Sarel du Plessis, executive director of OHMSA, announced yesterday, 24 April 2013, that the Out Of Home media sector performed very well during the past 12 months.

For the period of March 2011 to February 2012, the OOH sector enjoyed a share of market of 4.39%. This increased to 4.65% for the corresponding period of March 2012 to February 2013. Surprisingly, the internet sector showed a decrease during this period, as did print. Both radio and television increased their respective S0M by good margins.

Brands are made popular by people
2013-04-24

When talking about the power of influence and word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM), I always mention the Hush Puppies story. I believe that it is a true demonstration that for any brand to reach a tipping point, success is not only dependent on big above-the-line budgets. A great marketer once said: "Traditional marketing has companies speak to many to reach one, but today we speak to one consumer to reach many."

As I always say when it comes to the youth, 'cool' is not something that brands can fake - no matter how much money you invest on radio, print, television, billboards. These platforms only allow you to establish your brand's voice, not your brand personality. Cool brands are seen in the circle of other cool people, it all boils down to who knows your brand and what their social class or influence in their circles is. Celebrities and musicians can add so much value to your WOMM.

V Not Orange billboard full of advertising energy
2013-04-22

Energy Drink ‘V‘ has released the new Not Orange flavour to complement its range of other ‘V” flavours. The billboard for this product is brilliant. Yet, what seems to be quite a simple concept for a billboard, I think will be highly effective advertising… something writers of billboards should take note of.

Panado bubbles on highways
2013-04-22

A campaign for the new Panado effervescent tablet appears to dissolve in a real glass of water on four super signs in three major South African cities. The giant glass is filled with genuine H2O that is given a bubbling effect by a pump behind the huge tablet. The creative collaboration was between Initiative Media and Draft FCB and celebrated by Continental Outdoor Media, which encourages and support innovation in OOH media.

Launch of the 2013 Austin Art Boards Competition
2013-04-02

Reagan Outdoor Advertising today announced the start of its third annual Austin Art Boards competition, a popular visual arts contest known for its transformative touch on Austin-area scenery by displaying artwork from winning entries on Central Texas billboards.

Reagan’s annual juried art competition recognizes some of the best artists in the Greater Austin area. Artwork from 10 winning entrants will be reproduced in large format (14’ x 48’) and displayed for the next 1-2 years on billboards around Austin donated by Reagan. The competition is open to all ages and accepts all types of artwork, including sculptures and other 3D pieces which can be submitted as photographs. Call for Entries in the 2013 competition will remain open until June 28th.

The company aims to empower area businesses, organizations, and individuals to reach mass audiences and drive awareness for their brands and missions while using its reach to support worthy social causes.

more details at www.austinartboards.org/gallery.htm

15 brilliant examples of billboard advertising
2013-03-28

Billboards are the most common form of outdoor advertising. Large and prominently placed, ad agencies are continually thinking of new and innovative ways to use them to grab the attention and imagination of their target audience. The following brilliantly creative examples of billboard design do exactly that....

Unemployed graduate spends last £500 on a billboard ad
2013-03-25

He made headlines around the world after using his last £500 on a huge billboard advert begging employers to give him a job. And it appears the ploy paid off after 24-year-old Adam Pacitti received more than 100 job offers and landed a position with a top media firm. He is now employed as a viral video producer for media company KEO.

Delighted with his new employed status, Mr Pacitti used his first pay packet to fund another huge billboard in Shoreditch, London, reading: 'I spent my first wage packet on this billboard. Thank you for helping me.'

8 000 learners, unemployed gain from billboard recycling
2013-03-22

Petrochemicals company BP’s first Ads to Bags donation, which has given the vinyl skins from its old advertising billboards a second life as useful school products, reached 8 000 learners this year. “We hope that this will become a yearly project and that we can reach even more learners,” says BP retail head Renny Letswalo.

The school year started in style or underprivileged learners from Makhoarane Primary School, in Soweto, Sukuma Primary School, in Umlazi, Durban, and Injongo Primary School, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, who received funky pencil cases, chair bags and school backpacks made from old vinyl advertising billboards.

Letswalo points out that the Ads to Bags campaign supports South African children’s hopes and dreams by giving them practical and durable tools that add value to their education and replaces the need to buy traditional, pricy school suitcases and other stationery. “Not only are the kids starting the new school year with colourful new equipment but BP is also benefiting the environment by recycling this material and creating jobs.

Our Selection of the Most Eye-Catching Ads on Billboards
2013-03-11

The outdoor industry will be the first to tell you it gets no respect. There's a history behind that: a billboard was for decades an afterthought, tossed in only as a support to broader TV or radio campaigns. But the challenges of breaking through in this vintage medium have elevated creativity to new heights. The best outdoor efforts work because they're simple—you need to "get it" within seconds as you drive by. It's safe to say the envelope has been pushed, which is why we’re presenting our picks for the most visually fun and arresting work over the last three years. None of these campaigns have won Obies, the outdoor industry’s highest creative honor (save one from Mini Cooper), but they easily could have....

National Geographic Channel is taboo on Street Pole Ads
2013-02-22

Clever and tactical advertising that can't be ignored. That was the approach National Geographic Channel used to ensure its Taboo TV show got noticed. The channel used a series of three boards on Bram Fisher, Hunter and George streets to generate interest and awareness for the new season of this popular National Geographic series.

"We chose the medium of outdoor and specifically that of street poles for several reasons. Firstly, the poles themselves present a good creative solution. Secondly, Street Poles Ads are in the public space so we could get up close and personal, testing the boundaries of what people think is Taboo. What better way than a message as medium solution that delivers an emotional response intrinsically linked to the content of the show", explained Ireland Davenport Creative team, Anthea Weber and Gina Anderson King.

The benefits of billboards and other outdoor advertising
2013-02-22

According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, outdoor advertising is 80 percent less expensive than TV and 60 percent less expensive than newspapers.

Billboards and other outdoor ads are an especially effective way to capture attention, reach busy people, change attitudes and convey an important new message...

Outdoor Fast-Food Ads Linked to Obesity, Study Suggests
2013-02-13

Living in an area with many outdoor fast-food ads may be linked to weight gain, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that people living in areas with the most outdoor food advertising were more likely to be obese than residents of areas without these signs and billboards. Although they didn’t say the ads cause weight gain, they did note a “modest but clinically meaningful increased likelihood of obesity.”

Upcycling industrial PVC
2013-02-13

Crushed Lemon is a company that promotes environmental awareness through their employment of ‘upcycling’, a process of converting waste or unwanted material or products into materials or products that may be reused. The Durban-based company has used unwanted or old billboards, banners, truck tarps and commercial advertising banners to create a unique, robust and exciting range of accessories which can be sold to commercial and retail sectors of the country. “Our mission is to make a difference to the environment, create employment and uplift communities through our passion for our products and the people we serve”, says Crushed Lemon member Kerry Scott.

Some of the products created through the collected material comprise of bags, pencil cases, laptop bags, and wine cooler bags to name just a few. According to Scott, upcycling PVC material means that the company can create a variety of durable and longer lasting products from the material collected, because PVC is not biodegradable and does not wither away easily. The beauty of upcycling is that “we’re not breaking it down and creating something new, we are taking something and making it of greater value”, she says. In contrast the company is re-using the material and creating environmental awareness. Crushed Lemon works with a number of organisations, community members, the eThekwini Municipality and partners in spreading the word of the importance of up cycling.

Children and Advertising
2013-02-10

The ASA regulates UK ads to ensure they are truthful and socially responsible. A crucial part of that process is putting the protection of children at the heart of our work. There is no escaping the fact that we live in a commercial world. This brings with it the potential risk of children viewing harmful or inappropriate material. However, while not everyone will agree, it is generally accepted that children are legitimate consumers who have the right to see and hear what advertisers have to say. Our role, therefore, is to make sure that the ads targeted at or likely to be seen by them are appropriate and do not cause harm.

Sexy signage
2013-01-26

Outdoor (or what adepts call “out of home”) advertising “is one of the few traditional media channels forecast to grow over the next few years,” says Anastasia Kourovskaia of Millward Brown Optimor, a consultancy. America’s $6.5 billion market grew by more than 4% last year and is expected to top that rate in 2013. Global spending is rising faster. People may fast-forward through television ads and dispense with newspapers, but they still drive and take the train, where outdoor messengers can get to them.

Belgian Ad Agency’s Dramatic Stunt
2012-12-15

Looking back at 2012, one of the more successful marketing campaigns promoted a new television channel in Belgium (Turner Network Television) by combining action outdoor marketing with a viral internet video. The result was 10 million views in just 48 hours.

click here to view

It’s a question of… Thinking out of the home box
2012-12-12

The out of home media sector is poised for significant growth in South Africa, says Sarel du Plessis, Out of Home Media South Africa’s (OHMSA’s) executive director. Research here and abroad shows that people spend more time out of home than ever before. The rise of technology means that we are always connected. These and other factors stand out of home advertising in good stead. But, there are challenges amid the opportunities. The Media Online chats to Du Plessis about them...

Out of Home Advertising: Here to stay or on its way out?
2012-11-29

Ingrid von Stein, MD of Indigo Zebra Communications captures the variety of opportunities that OOH offers aptly when she says that “there are many open spaces around us that create the same rich and meaningful possibilities for advertising and communications”.

A quick survey among my friends pointed out that most of us commute between 40 and 80 kilometres to and from work per day. And most of us travel the exact same route on a daily basis. Von Stein also touches on this when she quotes Porterscope’s SA Out-of-Home Consumer Survey, which reported that 58% of people travel the same route on a daily basis. This is something marketers can harness. Not only can advertisements promoting products be strategically placed along specific routes to convert passers by into consumers, but this daily repetition of seeing the same advert can do wonders for building your brand and increasing your brand presence.

Another interesting statistic that Von Stein quotes from the same survey is that “over 80% of respondents notice street pole posters, billboards and bus advertising, 85% notice advertising outside a shopping mall and 76% are influenced by billboards.”

Waste not, want not...
2012-11-22

Have you ever wondered what happens to the massive advertising billboards in the streets and on highways when they are taken down? Waste 2 Wow did, and decided to find a new use for them. The company recycles billboards into a range of funky and fashionable bags and corporate items, as well as décor and outdoor items and small furniture, at the same time creating jobs. It also offers a custom product design on request, at an additional cost.

All of its products are 100% handmade, durable and weatherproof. Advertisers have the option of turning their own branded billboards into corporate gifts or choosing from Waste 2 Wow’s wide range of billboards and adding their own label.

Green billboard generates millions of blog visits, tweets and likes
2012-11-15

MediaVest, in collaboration with NU Venture, Tractor Outdoor and Draftfcb, conceptualised a vertical wall garden in 2011 as a billboard for Emirates airlines. Grown on a traditional billboard, it was a first in South Africa to be constructed solely from wood and vegetation. MediaVest business unit manager, Robert Notrica says, "Although it's regionally based, the campaign has become a talking point around the country and across the web. Innovation was the key to breaking through the barriers and reaching consumers in the ruthlessly competitive and cluttered airline industry."

Updated results indicate the billboard has generated 25-million blog visits, 106,811 tweets and 469,373 Facebook likes to date and generates R700,000 of PR exposure on various platforms. "The plan was to engage 'green conscious' consumers by showing them how the airline connects the world through the use of environmentally friendly material and 'grows' its message over time."

Evolution of Outdoor Advertising
2012-11-09

At every junction and roundabout in Kampala billboards in different sizes and shapes stand out competing for attention. They also adorn some stretches on major roads announcing different products. In Kampala, billboards are now part of the city landscape, an indication that something healthy is developing in the economy. It means there is competition and there are a range of products being announced.

Big towns like Jinja, Mbarara and Mbale are also seeing the introduction of billboards which previously were predominately a Kampala phenomenon. In Uganda’s 50 years of independence there were eras when there was nothing to advertise. During the days of black market in 1970s billboards were not needed because items smuggled into the country were sold in secrecy. In addition there were also days when industries had collapsed with nothing to put on the market...

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey billboards hit sweet spot
2012-11-07

Since it’s launch in South Africa in July, Tennessee Honey has literally been flying off the shelves. The infusion of proprietary honey and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey has proven to deliver exceptionally well on taste and esablished Jack fans as well as those relatively new to the brand are discovering its superb versatility.

A billboard campaign showing the unveil of Tennessee Honey and cleverly demonstrating the relationship between Jack Daniel’s Old. No 7 and nature’s gift of honey has been launched at prominent roadside spots across Johannesburg.

A Living Wall green wrap promoting Mercedes Benz M-Class
2012-11-01

In a world challenged to - ‘re-use and recycle’; ‘to conserve and protect’ - comes an automotive brand determined to make a significant technological contribution towards reducing the impact of CO2 emissions on the environment.Fuel-efficient and environmentally-sustainable premium automobiles from Mercedes-Benz - these are the cornerstones of an environmentally conscious Mercedes-Benz brand strategy.

The ‘green wall’ initiative is a collaboration between the V&A Waterfront, Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Big Boom Media and horticulturist experts. Covering over 200 linear meters, and equaling a total of 500m², this is the first time in South Africa that construction site hoardings play host to vertical gardens on this scale. Third-party advertising has also been incorporated into the design and installation, resulting in a living, three-dimensional and impactful visual display.

All the exchange between plant, water and atmosphere takes place through the irrigation cloth, rendering a soil-free solution and adding to the relative simple concept of vertical gardens. The cloth is irrigated via a simple plastic tube incorporated into the top section of the material, and a diluted nutritive solution is added to the irrigation flow.

Water-wise, indigenous plants and succulents have been selected as far as possible due to their sturdy growth and natural resilience levels. The vertical gardens will remain in this position for the next two years up until the conclusion of this development phase. Once this construction phase has concluded, the panels will be removed and the gardens will be repositioned elsewhere.

Altered Spaces: an artistic perspective
2012-10-11

The Everard Read Gallery presents the opening of Zwelethu Mthethwa's 'Altered Spaces' on 11th October 2012. Mthethwa's new body of pastel works, 'Altered Spaces' deals with contemporary urban South African landscapes. The artist explores the way in which large commercial billboards alter not only the physical appearance of our landscapes but also the way we experience the spaces mentally. The slogans and poetry of images and words on these billboards work their way into our subconscious minds and reflect the way in which our cultural and lingual geography is in a constant state of flux, much like the billboards which change and develop with the times.

As the language used on the billboards is often specific to the language spoken amongst people in that area, so the ideas or symbols depicted cater to the audience receiving them. It is these overlaps and juxtapositions that Mthethwa muses on in his new body of work – in what he refers to as “…a geography based on language…”. Billboards in a given area become landmarks for the people moving through that area and so work their way into our mental landscapes and lives and indeed, come to serve as a document to our heritage and history.

Gallery hours : Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm (No Charge) www.everard-read.co.za

Joburg to sue companies for ‘illegal ads’
2012-09-14

The City of Johannesburg has initiated legal processes against companies in Sandton that it accuses of illegal advertising. Spokesman for the city council Dudu Lushabe cited two billboards along the M1 highway that allegedly flout city by-laws. One is a Capitec Bank advert on Grayston Drive on the on-ramp to the M1 highway, while the other advertising Samsung is on William Nicol Drive in Bryanston.

In reply to the allegations Charl Nel, head of strategic communications at Capitec Bank, said he had not heard of any litigation by the city council, but added the billboard was a matter the bank’s advertising agents had to deal with. “We buy advertising space from our agents. The responsibility of finding property on which our adverts are placed lies solely with them.” Andy Anderson, a representative of Phezulu Outdoor Advertising and the bank’s agents said he was not aware of any impending litigation from the city council. “This billboard is on private land so I don’t see how it can be illegal.”

Project Grow implements Green Policy
2012-09-12

Out of home media owner Admadmedia recently launched an exciting new project to kick-off the company’s newly implemented Green Policy. The project, code named ‘Project Grow’, focuses on giving back to the environment but at the same time it is aimed at educating people on the process and effort involved with developing some of the natural resources most of us take for granted. With ‘Project Grow’, Admadmedia along with some of their industry peers will be growing trees from tiny little seeds which will then be planted once they are mature enough.

So far the participants include MMAP, Nu-Venture Media, OMD, Vista Outdoor Advertising and In Touch Outdoor but should anyone else like to get involved in the project they can email Danielle on danielle@admadmedia.co.za for more info.

MMAP wins MOST Media Owner 2012 Lamb Award
2012-09-07

New accolades at the MOST awards included the Media Owner Lamb and Media Agency Lamb award, which acknowledge the smaller agencies and media owners that missed the required number of research votes (30 in total) but excel in all the categories, including service delivery and innovation.

The 2012 Lamb Award for media agencies (sponsored by DStv Media Sales) went to Vizeum South Africa (Cape Town) and the winner of the inaugural Lamb Award for Media Owners (sponsored by Initiative Media) was Michele Munro and Partners (MMAP).

And now for all the MOST winners, and how they scored
2012-09-06

The MOST Awards has continued to gain momentum with another record number of respondents in 2012. Four hundred and forty-five respondents cast their votes for 92 listed media owners and 61 listed media agencies in the survey. In total, 5 518 votes were cast. In addition to the research methodology, the six performance criteria against which media owner sales teams and media agencies were rated against in 2011 were retained in 2012. This consistency of approach and method has facilitated the review and analysis of trended data this year.

Olympics helps boost spend on outdoor
2012-08-06

The Olympics, Euro 2012 and the Diamond Jubilee all helped contribute to a near 10 per cent revenue growth in outdoor media, according to figures from the Outdoor Media Centre. Outdoor revenues grew 9.9 per cent to £229m in the second quarter of 2012, with transport, roadside, retail and leisure marking growth in the period. Digital made up 17% of the total revenue in the quarter.

The top spenders were mostly Olympic sponsors, including Glaxosmithkline, Coca Cola, Samsung and McDonald’s. Non-sponsors BSkyB, Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Molson Coors, Talk Talk and Unilever – a major rival to Olympic sponsor Procter & Gamble - were also amongst the biggest spenders in the period.

Reagan Outdoor Advertising Displays 2012 Austin Art Boards Winners
2012-08-01

Adding to the list of things that make Austin unique, Reagan Outdoor Advertising today began coloring the skyline with artwork discovered through the company's annual Austin Art Boards competition. The second annual visual arts contest drew a strong response from Austin's creative community, receiving 220 entries from artists of all ages--more than doubling the number of entries from last year. Work from the ten Austin Art Boards winners will beautify area roadways for the next 1-2 years on billboards donated by Reagan.

OOH Advertising Sparks Emotions
2012-07-25

A new study conducted by the U.K. Outdoor Media Centre has revealed that OOH advertising not only has a strong influence on consumers, nudging them towards the purchase at every stage along the path to purchase, but that it can also illicit an emotional response. Emotions are not often associated with OOH advertising, but the ‘Customer Journey’ study showed that of all the OOH encounters recorded in the research, 62% generated a ‘feel’ response and over half of encounters generated some type of action.

This research is important at helping us understand how today’s consumers are making buying decisions and what role various media channels play in the purchase process, given changing consumer behaviour, the adoption of new technology, increased mobility and proliferation of new ad channels.

2012 African Access National Business Awards winners
2012-07-19

Kumba Iron Ore was the big winner at the 2012 African Access National Business Awards on Tuesday night. The mining company scooped the Employer of the Year award, the Investing in People award and CEO Chris Griffith (47) was named Top Performing Businessman of the Year. The Anglo American plc subsidiary was widely praised for its Envision broad based employee share scheme which saw its non-managerial staff walk away with payouts in excess of R570 000 each late last year.

Top Performing Businesswoman of the Year went to Dawn Rowlands of Aegis Media. Accepting the award, Rowlands thanked her team for always following her lead, being passionate and enthusiastic.

Aegis also bagged the Innovation through Technology award for its Digibate – an online live stream debate platform. Having grown revenue from R400 million to R2.2 billion in four years, Carat, also part of Aegis Media, won the Fast Growth SMME award.

Missing People gifted £1m outdoor space
2012-07-10

Charity Missing People is to benefit from £1m of donated digital outdoor media space as it launches its first campaign fronted by brand ambassador Kate McCann.

The campaign will see a number of missing people appeals appear across a series of outdoor media networks over the busy Olympic period, with a call to action to phone Missing People’s number 116 000 if they have seen one of the individuals featured.

It marks the first public-facing role Kate McCann has taken since her daughter Madeleine went missing in Portugal in 2007.

Outdoor advertising amid "the greatest show on earth"
2012-07-10

With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games only a few weeks away, years of meticulous work and preparation are about to be unveiled.

Sponsors that have invested millions, along with their rivals will be vying for attention as London's population swells by over 10 million. Outdoor taps into the excitement and emotion of sport, and we are looking forward to seeing inspiring, iconic, large format visuals that tap into the passion, excitement and patriotism that unique sporting events like the Olympics bring to the fore.

Millions of people, many empty billboards
2012-06-13

On a recent audit of billboards in Johannesburg townships (high density, predominantly low to middle income areas) it was surprising how many empty boards are held by dominant players in the market. Coming from a logical expectation that these companies would have the insights and financial might not to waste time and their own resources by creating redundant assets (you would think) what are the media owners missing?

Their challenge is two-fold. Firstly, their local sales strategy seems incoherent. Let's consider the landscape in Soweto, South Africa's largest and most renowned township. There is a plethora of empty smaller boards fighting for the national brands' budgets. Yet, on the other hand, there are so many localised businesses (including substitute brands) that could use this very situational media productively.

The disconnect is that the media owners are focused on selling to large brands whose media planners and buyers sit outside of the townships and have limited knowledge of, and sometimes interest in, the township landscape. The real question is whether it is possible to fill local boards without local business participation. Our audits in the rest of Africa suggest that the answer is a resounding "No!"

Effective outdoor campaigns solve business challenges
2012-06-12

"BMW and Yum Yum (peanut butter) have created high impact outdoor campaigns that have been executed correctly in order to reach consumers. The clout of these outdoor campaigns lies in the ability to 'invite' a customer into the brand. Innovative Outdoor executions have the power to work their way 'into the brains' of people like no other advertising medium," said Lyn Jones, Continental Outdoor Media marketing manager.

She notes that effective outdoor advertising helps clients drive business growth because it answers the following questions: What are consumers not doing at the moment that you need them to be doing? What are consumers not thinking and feeling at the moment that you need them to be? And what are the barriers to be overcome in achieving this?

"In our virtual world, to see a brand physically embodied is a powerful way to raise awareness and to gauge the consumer," said Jones.

Growing green billboards
2012-06-05

In a campaign for Mercedes Benz Remanufactured Parts, the Old Shanghai Firecracker Factory created a billboard that had plants systematically growing out of the visual over three months. The copy line that supported the visual read, "Remanufactured GenuineParts. Totally committed to a greener environment."

"We needed to develop a campaign that was aimed at leaving a lasting impression in consumers' minds," says creative director, David Taylor. Taylor explains that the growing of the plants is a representation of the client's commitment to the environment, where it doesn't just throw away broken or malfunctioning parts. "Instead they restore them to their original quality standard. This reduces their carbon footprint and damage to the global environment. In addition, customers benefit from reduced prices for quality parts that come with a warranty," says Taylor.

OHMSA contingent to attend global outdoor conference
2012-06-04

Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) has announced that the largest contingent ever of its members will attend this year’s global out of home media conference, Federation European Publicite Exterieur (FEPE). The OHMSA delegation intends adding value to both members and industry stakeholders by sharing insights and knowledge gained from the conference, which is themed ‘connectivity – outdoor media’s place in the new media order’.

“Apart from the excellent presentations scheduled to be delivered by out-of-home media experts from around the world, the OHMSA delegation is looking forward to networking with other countries’ outdoor media associations. In particular, we aim to gain knowledge about best practices and global benchmark standards to share with the South African market, as well as to establish more formalised relationships with other out-of-home media associations,” said OHMSA acting chairperson Billy Basson.

Fighting Sign Pollution in Florida With Robocalls
2012-06-02

In Florida, plastic signs clutter roadsides with messages like “We Buy Houses!” “Junk Cars!” and “Avoid Foreclosure!” But now, worried about the impact on tourism and the state’s natural beauty, some coastal communities have begun aggressive campaigns against the signs — by robocalling the advertisers’ phone numbers.

“It’s the only crime I know of where a person deliberately leaves their phone number behind,” said Mayor Peter Bober of Hollywood, which uses computer software to call the phone numbers, up to 20 times per day, until offenders pay a $75 fine. “They want us to call. So let’s call. And keep calling.”

To join OHMSA or not: an infiltrators point of view
2012-06-01

This is a very interesting industry – even a simple decision such as whether to join the industry body or not is very loaded, mostly, from what I can gather, as a result of both OHMSA’s history as well as the industry’s legacy! Adages abound when considering the concept of an industry body: ‘strength in numbers’; ‘Unity is strength', 'Together we stand, divided we fall' etc etc. The fact is, these statements so glibly thrown around are all true.

And in the case of OHMSA? Even more so. I have only been in the industry for 10 months, a very interesting 10 months. What astounds me though, is the extent to which an industry that is maligned, under attack from regulatory bodies, undervalued by the middlemen/brokers and largely ignored by the clients, can still continue so brazenly on the path that brought them to this point: infighting, backstabbing, petulance, ‘in your face’ attitudes! And yet, I found people in the industry and on OHMSA Exco who unselfishly donate their time and skills to take the INDUSTRY to the next level...

Eight Consecutive Quarters of Revenue Growth in USA
2012-05-30

Eight Consecutive Quarters of Revenue Growth Highlights Industry’s Continued Strength (Washington, DC) –Out of home (OOH) advertising revenue rose 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, accounting for more than $1.4 billion, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). The increase in revenue highlights steady positive year-over-year revenue growth since the second quarter of 2010. “The out of home industry continues to perform well each year,” said OAAA President & CEO Nancy Fletcher. “Ad agencies and advertisers have realized the value OOH can offer when part of a comprehensive media plan.”

Fines for illegal signage in New York reaches six figures
2012-05-09

Some outdoor advertising companies regard municipal fines for illegal signs as just another cost of doing business. New York City is suggesting they think again. The cost has now reached six figures.

On Friday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Law Department announced that the city had collected $225,000, a record fine, for the illegal installation of wall signs in a historic district without permission from the landmarks agency.

Primedia Outdoor partners with Food & Trees for Africa
2012-04-19

Primedia Outdoor understands that preserving trees is not enough. In addition to their efforts to ensure no trees are cut down in their line of work, Primedia Outdoor is now also planting new trees in barren areas and supporting the development of perma-culture food gardens in KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape.

Primedia Outdoor has already planted 600 trees and has started the development of three food gardens. To achieve this they formalised a partnership with social enterprise Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), South Africa's first social enterprise to address sustainable development through climate change action, food security and greening, with a strong focus on environmental and global warming awareness and education.

Outdoor advertising: getting the basics right 2012
2012-04-09

Creative outdoor campaigns can be a hugely powerful means of influencing consumer perceptions and attitudes, and ultimately the decision to buy products. Designing outdoor campaigns, however, is a challenging task that requires rigid adherence to a number of basic principles, of which the foremost is the need for simplicity...

The Guardian's outdoor advertising campaign
2012-03-29

Take a look at the creative from The Guardian's outdoor ad campaign in pictures...

OOH & Radio Advertising Rank 2nd as Most Truthful Medium
2011-11-22

When it comes to meeting standards for acceptability and truthfulness, Canadians have the most confidence in traditional media.

Advertising Media Most Truthful:
Newspapers: 74%
Out-of-home (billboards, etc): 69%
Radio: 69%
Magazines: 65%
TV: 64%
Online: 47%

The vast majority (79%) of Canadians surveyed said advertising provides them with value. Most Canadians (63%) said advertising is somewhat or very helpful to their consumer decision making versus 80% of Americans. Most Canadians (73%) said they have a favourable impression of advertising. A majority of Canadians (57%) said most advertising they encounter meets acceptable standards of truthfulness and accuracy and is not offensive. Only 19% said advertising provides no value.

The Gandalf Group undertook the study for ASC, polling 1,378 Canadians and 800 Americans for attitudes towards advertising. Advertising Standards Canada is the industry body that maintains the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.

Importance of Outdoor Advertising
2011-11-21

Outdoor advertising surrounds you everywhere, everyday. This type of advertising has enough power to influence people constantly, so it is important to choose the right NJ outdoor advertising agency to help you to get the right message out to the public quickly and effectively. As people drive down the highway or any busy street, they only have a very small amount of time to see your advertisement on that billboard or the sign you have on the side of the bus, or wherever your advertisement may be. Only having this small amount of time makes it extremely important to have the right graphics and details, even the right lettering. This is where the help of an agency comes in handy. ...

Branding is another important factor in outdoor advertising because it allows your customers to attach a special meaning to your company. For example, think of McDonald's. People know instantly what those big golden arches mean. Not only do they associate those golden arches with McDonald's, but also some may argue that people associate those golden arches with typical American food, burgers and fries. That type of awareness is exactly what you should want for your company. After building your brand, your customers' knowledge of your company will increase; therefore, establishing a level of brand loyalty.

ADstruc's Billboards for Everyone hits the Jersey Shore
2011-11-14

We first wrote about Adstruc in March, the New York City based startup that’s changing the future of outdoor advertising space, by providing an online auction and listing-based marketplace for sellers and buyers.

This winter, Adstruc released a campaign titled Billboards for Everyone. The first billboard, which depicted a play on the immigration policy and is aptly displayed in Arizona, was designed by Shepard Fairey’s creative agency Studio Number One.

Each month, Adstruc puts out a creative brief to host a similar project in various states. The latest installment is now live on the Wildwood Boardwalk in New Jersey. For this run, ADstruc teamed up with Visions Outdoor Advertising, BA Reps, JWT New York, and Trustocorp, the anonymous New York based artist whose mission is ‘to highlight the hilarity of human behavior through sarcasm and satire’.

Laramie said, “Our Billboards for Everyone campaign is all about enabling artists to express their creative freedoms in unique locations. This campaign is no different. Simply, today’s culture obsesses over fabricated television drama and we wanted this campaign to drive awareness about real drama that is happening overseas, of which, we can all help.

Global Outdoor Advertising Industry
2011-11-08

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue

The report analyzes the worldwide markets for Outdoor Advertising in US$ Million by the following Modes/Formats: Billboards, Transit, Street Furniture, and Alternate/Others. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.

Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for each region for the period 2009 through 2017. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets.

The report profiles 263 companies including many key and niche players such as Adams Outdoor Advertising, AdSpace Networks, Inc., Affichage Holding SA, APN Outdoor, Burkhart Advertising, Inc., Captivate Network, Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., Clear Media Limited, CBS Corporation, Daktronics, Inc., DDI Signs, EPAMEDIA, EuroMedia Group S.A., Fairway Outdoor Advertising, LLC, JCDecaux Group, Lamar Advertising Company, MarketForward, Primedia Outdoor Pty Ltd., PRN Corporation, Stroer Out-of-Home Media AG, Van Wagner Communications, and Zoom Media, Inc.

MediaVest’s innovative ‘vertical growth’
2011-11-02

Vertical growth, it’s what all companies aspire to, but in this instance, vertical growth refers to MediaVest’s innovative growing billboard in Cape Town, for its client Emirates Airlines. As part of an overarching media strategy, a six metre high by 12 metre wide horizontal area on Kloof street, Cape Town, a featureless and nondescript space, was transformed into a living, breathing piece of art.

Tasked with providing Emirates Airlines with innovative media, MediaVest in collaboration with NU Venture, Tractor Outdoor and Draft FCB conceptualised a vertical wall garden, grown on a traditional billboard media space. This is a South African first constructed solely from wood and vegetation.

UK's Top 10 outdoor categories for Sep 2010-Aug 2011
2011-11-01

A graph illustrating the top 10 categories for outdoor spend, led by Entertainment & Leisure and followed in order by Telecoms, Drink, Finance, Food, Media, Motors, Travel & Transport, Retails and Cosmetics & Personal care

Awareness campaigns to galvanise South Africans into Climate Action with a Legacy
2011-10-14

The Department of Environmental Affairs is launching a campaign that mobilises South Africans to act on climate change, and arms people with the facts they need to make a difference. The campaign will be launched at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) in Durban, and will run as a climate legacy initiative for a 6 month period. Government has issued an invitation to business to partner with them in this campaign, stating that business is “a crucial partner in tackling the enormous challenge posed by climate change”.

In the words of Edna Molewa, Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs, “We owe it to the people of South Africa to partner with them to minimise the effects of climate change on their lives – to help them reclaim their futures, indeed, all our futures. I am inviting you to partner with us in this campaign, and in our stated determination to act against climate change and reclaim our futures.”

In hosting COP 17, the Government wishes to galvanise the country into climate action and leave a lasting legacy for the people of South Africa. The campaign has been designed as a “call to action”, and will include corporate partners who are substantively active in climate change. The campaign website and expo will showcase government’s and corporate sponsors’ climate change efforts and programmes.

Global Outdoor Advertising Market to Reach US$43.8 Billion by 2017
2011-10-05

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Outdoor Advertising market. World Outdoor Advertising market is forecast to reach US$43.8 billion by the year 2017. Following reductions in advertising spends as a knee-jerk reaction to the economic shock, companies are now beginning to re-inject financial resources in advertising and marketing as is evident by the market’s already emerging signs of recovery. With companies focused on squeezing the maximum mileage out of their advertising spends, outdoor advertising stands to gain in comparison with traditional print and broadcast media.

The outdoor advertising market flattened out during the years 2008 and 2009. The recession derailed growth in outdoor advertising with crumbling consumer/business confidence and frugal spending patterns reducing the response rates of ads thereby impacting revenues generated by the industry.

Despite the indications made by research studies that maintenance of an aggressive marketing posture even during recession is vital for a company’s growth and brand equity post recession, only large financially strong companies with the financial muscle to fund ad budgets in tough economic conditions actually retain their advertising agendas.

As stated by the new market research report, Europe and United States accounts for a major share of the global Outdoor Advertising market. By segment, Billboards is the largest contributor to global market revenues.

Australia's Out-of-home records third quarter growth
2011-10-04

Quarter three in 2011 saw the Out-of-Home (OOH) industry record its seventh consecutive quarter of growth posting a modest increase of 1.5% on the same period last year. The Year on Year figures show growth of 4.1% 1which amounts to a net revenue increase of $13 million, $342 million compared to $329 million in 2010.

Charmaine Moldrich, CEO of the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) said, “We are pleased to see growth, albeit modest, despite the retail slow-down and the winter quarter traditionally being the slowest quarter for the industry. We know the market is tight out there and we are pleased that we are able to sustain our growth.”

“We launched new MOVE data (Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure), for 2011 on 12 September which shows a 13.6% increase in audiences across the country for OOH.” Audiences are up in all five markets: 5% in Sydney, 8% in Brisbane, 15% in Melbourne and 20% in both Adelaide and Perth.

NZ Out of home growth continues in 2011
2011-09-21

The Outdoor Media Association of New Zealand (OMANZ) announced further growth for 2011 with quarter two gross media revenue up 8.3% on the same period last year.

Phil Clemas – Chair for OMANZ said: "It’s good to see continuing confidence in OOH from agencies and advertisers. On the back of this Q2 result was Q1 growth of 7.1% resulting in a half year increase of 7.8% or 2.235m” "Advertisers are seeing once again the true strengths of OOH, those being reach, presence and impact for brands and the Rugby World Cup event is inspiring wider use. Research reinforces that adding OOH to the media schedule can improve the effectiveness and impact of campaigns.”

TOUCH – The Touch Rugby Balls that Touch Communities
2011-09-09

TOUCH is an initiative that touches communities by training unemployed seamstresses to make TOUCH rugby balls using recycled billboards. The balls are stuffed with between 25 and 30 plastic bags (collected from the streets of the community) so they help to deal with two issues at once, a lack of work and litter. Sponsored by EnviroServ this initiative aims to harness the energy around rugby in 2011, giving communities a tangible reason to get excited about the rugby event.

This initiative will provide training and equipment to ensure that women, who have been out of work for some time, are enabled to produce quality TOUCH products. “Women are able to earn up to R200 a day once they have learnt the pattern and have practiced making balls for a few days. We provide industrial sewing machines and training for community women with backgrounds as seamstresses, who are now out of work.” says Russel Porteous founder of the job creation NGO “LIVE”.

This is an initiative that really takes rugby to the community and the from many quarters is growing. Prime Media Outdoor have donated R54 000 worth of old billboard material to the project.

Advertisers: Parents Focus On Basics, Not Tech Items
2011-09-01

With worrisome signs about the economy looming over the heads of consumers that just won't go away, new research from Publicis Groupe's MediaVest shows that parents are much more focused during this back-to-school shopping season on basics like clothing and supplies. They are less interested in spending on bigger-ticket items, such as computers, phones and software. And most back-to-school shoppers will be paying strict attention to the prices they pay. They say they are keeping a sharp eye out for advertised sales, discounts and rebates, the research found.

Ohmsa Opens Membership To Out Of Home Industry Stakeholders
2011-08-31

OHMSA said that its decision to open associate membership to industry stakeholders - advertising agencies, poster-buying specialists, marketers, suppliers and industry bodies – was a crucial one and long overdue. “If we are to truly represent the out of home industry and have deeper insight into sector challenges, we have to create free-flowing dialogue. We also want to acknowledge the broader industry for their role in the out of home sector’s economic success. It thus makes sense for us to share issues on a common platform and open our membership up accordingly” said Melissa Moore, OHMSA Executive Director.

Benefits of associate membership are numerous: easy access to out of home media resources; the ability to contribute towards the development of industry guidelines and a code of conduct; networking; greater representation of interests, among others. OHMSA has also decided to amend its media owner membership voting rights to allow greater representation of our category C members on the OHMSA Executive Committee. “We want to dispel the perception that OHMSA acts only in the interests of the bigger players. We strive to acknowledge the smaller players and elevate their voices,” she said. Furthermore, OHMSA will be actively engaging the concerns of the entire out of home industry, instead of focusing on billboards, which has been tradition.

Olympics 2012: London Underground in £1bn ad dispute
2011-08-25

Advertising firm CBS Outdoor is to launch a legal action against Transport for London over the costs of running the advertising network throughout the London Underground (LUL) and could terminate the £1bn contract that covers 33,000 poster sites in 275 stations and 88,000 panels in trains before the start of the Olympics.

The contract was expected to run until 2015, however, CBS Outdoor has found it extremely difficult to monetise the contract on the terms agreed when it won the pitch. One of the difficulties has been the huge investment costs required to upgrade the London Underground with digital screens. CBS, which won the pitch to handle the contract in 2006 and is one of the largest advertising deals in the world, is threatening to terminate the contract in March next year unless terms are renegotiated by LUL.

Green Revolution in OOH-Green Walls as new Marketing Trends
2011-08-19

Food, Fashion, Real-Estate, Automobile, Telecomm and thousands of other companies trying to establish symbiotic relationships to being green or those going green are out there promoting, selling and engineering how to gain market share.

Green walls have been very popular in west countries for marketing and branding initiatives of various brands such as Mc Donald, Coca-Cola, PNB bank.. Green billboards also amplifies companies sensitivity towards the environment and Consumer.

The corporate identity of any company changes with the usage of such billboards as Green walls enhances the brand recall vale more than 50%. Global Advertisers, Managing Director, Sanjeev Gupta believes that “there is a common psychological expectation and response for what are used to seeing vs. seeing something unexpected. Green walls will be used for not only attracts attention, but to attract positive attention to their products and services.”

By-laws regulate outdoor advertising, warns Tshwane council
2011-08-18

Advertising is everywhere, but the Tshwane Metro Council is warning businesses and residents that there are by-laws to obey. According to the council, any visual representation of a word, name, number, letter, figure, illustration, object, mark or symbol or of an abbreviation of a word or name, or any combination of such elements with the object of transferring information, is known as advertising.

The council has warned that the by-law states that, "no person shall erect, maintain or display a sign or allow any other person to erect, maintain or display a sign in a place or on a building or structure that is visible from any public space without the consent of the municipality".

The Development Control Unit deals with illegal advertising and may be contacted on: Pretoria, 012 358 8032/8067; Akasia, 012 358 9048; Soshanguve: 012 358 9255; and Centurion building control, 012 671 7493. To view the control of outdoor advertising by-laws as well as other Tshwane by-laws go to www.tshwane.gov.za.

A Daily Reminder to think Creatively and Sustainably
2011-08-18

Last month Coca Cola and the World Wildlife Foundation unveiled a billboard in the Philippines that uses a thriving species of Fukien tea plant that absorbs air pollutants. Each plant used on the billboard can absorb about 13 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year, which means the entire billboard can potentially absorb a total of 46,800 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

The innovative thinking didn’t stop there. The tea plants were potted in 3,600 pots made up of recycled bottles of various Coca-Cola products and filled with a potting mixture made up of a combination of industrial by-products and organic fertilizers. Finally, a specially designed drip irrigation system was installed for efficient water distribution

This is an important step in the evolution of outdoor advertising, not only because it shows us how creative thinking and partnerships can effectively promote brands while having a positive impact, but because it also serves as a daily reminder to all who pass by that sustainability can be incorporated into anything we do if you just take a step back and think creatively.

'Tell someone who cares' $1.6mil Out-of-home campaign shows where to compain about ads
2011-08-14

The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) today launched a $1.6 million national Out-of-Home (OOH) public education advertising campaign for the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) entitled ‘Tell Someone Who Cares’.

The two-month campaign promoting the ASB’s complaints process will run on roadside and railway billboards, bus and tram shelters, bus interiors, taxis and on digital screens in shopping centres and airports. “We will highlight there is a place where people can raise their concerns about any advertising they see on the TV, radio, in a newspaper, on a billboard or even online,” ASB CEO Fiona Jolly said. “We want the community to know that they can tell someone who cares”.

“Our research shows that almost 70 per cent of the community know how to go about making a complaint. We know that this outdoor campaign will boost that figure by ensuring more people find out where they can raise their concerns.”

Sign of Arrival, for Xinhua, Is 60 Feet Tall
2011-07-25

ONE of the most prominent advertising spaces in Times Square is soon to be occupied by a Chinese brand. Xinhua, the news agency operated by the Chinese government, is leasing a giant sign, known as a spectacular, on 2 Times Square, the building that is the northern anchor of the district. The new LED sign, 60 feet high by 40 feet wide, is being built for Xinhua (pronounced Shin-wa) and is scheduled to make its debut next Monday.

The arrival of Xinhua on 2 Times Square is significant because of the building’s premier location in the so-called crossroads of the world. In the 1970s and 1980s, Japanese and South Korean marketers like Fuji, GoldStar, JVC, Sony and Samsung began leasing signs on Midtown Manhattan buildings like 2 Times Square and its sibling, 1 Times Square. It was considered a signal of their arrival in the global consumer marketplace.

Murdoch sells News Outdoor to VTB
2011-07-25

Rupert Murdoch, the underfire media mogul, is selling his Russian advertising company News Outdoor to investment bank VTB Capital and its partners. News Outdoor is a heavy hitter in the billboard advertising business. The advertising hoardings are strewn across the Russian capital and rake in $400 to $4,000 a month. Former Mayor Yury Luzhkov was slated for his failure to bring widespread display advertising around town under control, they have become a significant source of income for mid-ranking city officials BNE reported. This now looks set to change, the bank said in a statement that the new management will, “interact with the federal and municipal authorities to implement programs aimed at improving the appearance of cities,” the press release said.

TMO's brief summary of what's currently happening
2011-07-21

Briefly… Two weeks left to book for AMASA’s Media Planning Workshop; House and Leisure presents pure luxury this month; Posterscope SA launches OCS 2, the Out of Home Consumer survey; Is the mall a brand or just a convenient location? Publisher, agency join hands to help NGO; ADreach assists in warming the children of Soweto; Mall Active tasked to create hype for Gautrain’s final construction phase; Nashua Mobile donations to Food & Trees for Africa top R1m

ADreach assists in warming the children of Soweto
2011-07-20

On Thursday 14 July members of ADreach, together with various SCARC (Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club) representatives, attended a blanket hand-out which saw five of Soweto's disadvantaged day care centres receive much-needed blankets to keep each individual child warm during the winter months. Remaining blankets were distributed amongst some of the other children from the area.

According to ADreach Marketing Manager, Ronel Botha, "It was such a heart-warming experience to be able to give something back to the people and to observe the generosity of individuals. We want to thank all who contributed for their donations and want to assure them that each and every blanket is making a significant difference."

ADreach reaches out to children with disabilities
2011-07-07

As part of its committed CSI drive and longstanding devotion to society as a whole, ADreach is providing support to the Sunshine Association, in the form of a sponsorship comprising 30 Street Pole Ads, to the value of R184,000. The Sunshine Association, in partnership with parents and communities, comprises five Johannesburg-based training and early intervention centres committed to the development and inclusion of children with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities and delays.

Second OOH consumer survey launching in SA
2011-07-06

OCS 2, the second Out of Home consumer survey from Posterscope, will be launched in July 2011 in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The survey, considered to be one of the world's most in-depth studies of consumer behaviour in relation to out of home advertising, has over 3000 respondents in South Africa. Audiences can be segmented attitudinally, behaviourally, or demographically and analysed by environment, with a high level of detail.

• After viewing billboards, more than 1 in 5 males have gone to a website as a result.
• 3 out of 4 males agree that billboards on the main road are influential.
• 4 out of 5 females between 18 and 24 have been influenced into buying something from electronic billboards inside a grocery store.
• 3 in 10 will respond after seeing a billboard which has an SMS to reply to.
• Over 70% of women have bought something in a clothing store because of an electronic advert in the store.
• Over 85% of women trust advertising in shopping centres.
• 1 in 2 males are spending more time on their cellphones than 2 years ago.
• 1 in 4 males think about their finances on their way to work, and 1 in 4 males think about what to eat for dinner on their way home from work.

Paris Decision Leading to Europe Chopping Outdoor Ads?
2011-07-04

A decision by the city council of Paris to cut the maximum size of outdoor advertising in the city will surely affect the income of outdoor advertising companies, but could also curtail brand exposure throughout Europe. The ruling will cut display advertising in Paris by 30%, Marketwatch reports. The site also notes that the Paris city council voted to cut the maximum size of advertisements, to eight square meters from 12 square meters.

Marketwatch notes that this “could lead to similar restrictions across Europe.” Research firm Cheuvreux analyst Richard Houbron is quoted saying that the decision in Paris could "motivate other cities across France to follow suit," and possibly other European capitals to review their openness to what is described by opponents as visual pollution.

OOH, where are we going in SA?
2011-07-04

What with the upheaval in the out of home industry last week, and one of the major players opting out of OHMSA, the industry appears to be going through a transition...The big companies have got bigger and ergo better… but is this sustainable? Numerous case studies demonstrate that the converse is certainly more sustainable – i.e. to become bigger by being better versus better by being bigger.

For OOH in SA to regain its position and share of the total advertising pie, OOH companies need to be more marketing-orientated, less production-reliant and have more in common with their overseas colleagues in terms of campaign flexibility. Media agencies and clients need to deal with objective consultants who have access to all available inventories. No single OOH company can do it all! Competition is the way to address the issue, and I believe that OHMSA is ideally positioned to create an independent entity with proportionate shareholder interest to promote and provide trustworthy and respected objective bipartisan solutions – as, in fact, we’ve grown to trust the independent brokers.

80% of Australians are accepting of outdoor advertising
2011-07-01

According to research conducted by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA), 80% of Australians are either positive or neutral towards outdoor advertising, and most actually found them interesting and humourous. Charmaine Moldrich, CEO of OMA says: “Most people find outdoor advertising entertaining, especially when good creativity is applied to them. We also found that the general public found the medium’s greatest strength to be its constant, 24/7 presence”.

OMA’s research also found that over the last year, 99.98% of all outdoor advertising compiled with codes that are self-regulated and self-imposed by industry practitioners and the OMA. “Not only does outdoor advertising maintain a lot of crucial public places and facilities, we also contribute up to $13.25mil worth of charity each year, mostly in the form of free advertising space”,reports Moldrich.

Australia's outdoor advertising growth stays on track
2011-07-01

The outdoor advertising industry has continued its strong run, posting its sixth consecutive quarter of growth. The Outdoor Media Association today announced net revenues of $229 million in the second quarter of 2011, up from $217 million for the same period last year. Last year saw advertising investment in the outdoor industry grow by more than $77 million to $477 million.

Uproar in out of home advertising industry
2011-06-29

The out of home advertising industry is in an uproar this week with one of the major players resigning from industry body, Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA), the DA accusing the Johannesburg Property Company of entering into illegal lease agreements relating to banned billboard sites and an Eastern Cape out of home company calling foul over an irregular tender process.

Asked what kind of message Continental’s resignation sends to other out of home companies, with Continental being one of the biggest players in Africa, Sayer said his primary concern was to “shareholders, our staff, customers and landlords”. “We find more and more that toeing the OHMSA very democratic majority line is sometimes in conflict with those primary stakeholder interests. Clearly we need to choose and have done that,” Sayer said.

Continental Outdoor’s position comes in the wake of a statement by the Democratic Alliance, about Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and the ANC-led City of Johannesburg, in which it claims that Council is flouting its own laws by extending lease agreements with “at least three companies that are worth R190-million”. The media statement from DA councilor, Christo Botes, said the lease agreements had extended the life of “illegal and banned billboards”.

Outdoor Advertising engages nearly 60% of consumers
2011-06-26

A new study on the behaviour patterns of European commuters reveals that nearly 60pc of people on the go are actively looking at out-of-home advertising, while a third report having made a purchase as a result of seeing an outdoor ad.

According to CBS Outdoor, the research finds that advances in technology have led to a growing population of tech savvy, highly mobile people who are increasingly likely to act upon commercial messages while out-of-home due to the growing connectivity offered by their mobile devices. They are also more likely to pay attention to outdoor advertising (63pc) and are particularly sensitive to boredom during their daily journeys.

Over half of respondents (58pc) said they consciously look at outdoor ads, higher than any other form of advertising.

OMA concedes on content ahead of looming regulation
2011-06-25

The outdoor advertising industry in Australia has introduced a voluntary content review policy. Under the content review policy, no member of the association will be entitled to display an ad if advised that it is likely to breach a self-regulatory Code. “The current system of self-regulation is world’s best practice with 99.98% of ads displayed complying with industry self-regulatory codes,” the OMA claimed. As part of wider image rejuvenation, the OMA wants to boost awareness of the assistance it provides to charity or community advertising and to public/community infrastructure.

ADreach reaches out to orphaned children in the Northern Cape Province
2011-06-21

As part of its committed CSI drive and longstanding devotion to society as a whole, ADreach is committed to making a genuine difference to South Africa, and this means playing a part in both the social and economic development of the country through sponsorships or donations, and of course, hands-on involvement.

To this end, ADreach recently provided support to the Kimberley-based Kestell Children's Home in a campaign drive, aimed at generating awareness of the home and its various needs. This support took the form of nine street pole advertisement sites on which to place awareness advertisements, for an unlimited duration of time. This campaign, valued at approximately R7000.00, saw ADreach, together with printing sponsors, Northern Cape Signs, produce and erect a number of striking posters along Long Street, Memorial Road and Oliver Road.

Joburg municipality profiting from illegal billboards
2011-06-15

According to sources both within the outdoor advertising industry as well as within Council, The Managing Director of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), Ms. Helen Botes, has entered into lease agreements with at least three companies that are worth R190 million. The lease agreements will allow these companies to extend the leases of current illegal and banned billboards which are currently erected on Council property.

Reports that served at both the Mayoral and the Development Planning Committees in January 2011 highlighted at least 200 illegal billboards in the city. The officials informed councillors at these meetings that the city did not have the funds or the capacity to enforce the by-laws. However, while there are no funds to enforce the by-laws, the Council seems to be very happy to derive continuous income from the illegal billboards.

33 Clever and Creative Billboard Ads
2011-06-11

Billboard advertisements are designed to catch a person’s attention and create a memorable impression very quickly, leaving the reader thinking about the advertisement after they have driven past it. They have to be readable in a very short time because they are usually read while being passed at high speeds. Thus there are usually only a few words, in large print, and a humorous or arresting image in brilliant color.

Here are 33 clever and creative billboard ads which make the best use of this medium.

Why Outdoor Media Benefits an Advertiser
2011-06-01

In order to understand why OOH benefits an advertiser one need to understand its category and place in the landscape of South Africa media. OOH advertising has a higher recall unlike a 30 second advert on television. The rationale behind utilizing OOH is quite simple especially with the swell in commuters mostly being on the road.

According to All Measure and Products Survey (AMPS) 2009, 85.9% of people had the opportunity to see (OTS) out of home advertising in the last four weeks ranking it the third most consumed media after the broadcast giants, television and radio. Due to consumers spending most of their time outside of their homes advertisers saw this gap to increase advertising as it is visible to all and generates repeated exposure.

MMAP will map your holding
2011-05-25

"Michele Munro & Associates", outdoor specialist company, will now be trading under a new brand name, MMAP. MMAP's brand values are that of being transparent, supportive, committed and reliable. For this purpose MAPP has upgraded its mapping planning tool and can find opportunities for advertisers in the right place and map their entire holding, giving a perspective as to where the gaps may lie or where new opportunities may exist.

The MAPP database, OUT/side, with its upgraded and faster search facility is linked to the mapping planning tool, which identifies where sites are located, who owns the site, the cost of the site, what surrounds the site, whether it be a shopping mall, a school, a golf course, an airport or even a sports ground. The services have been expanded to make life easier for media planners and buyers to now easily integrate outdoor into the overall media mix.

FEPE Opening Speech of President Christian Kauter
2011-05-25

"Competitiveness, innovation and the fight against advertising bans belongs to the key activities of FEPE in the last years. Let my highlight briefly what we achieved in these fields..."

"It is for us essential to have such global guidelines on outdoor audience measurement, because advertisers and agencies need to have fact and figures, which are comparable with other Medias. I am convinced that audience measurement is of utmost importance for us and as a consequence, FEPE has to continue to handle this issue with priority..."

"Innovation is one of the key for the future of an industry. One of the trends that are already reality in OOH is the digital signage. In the US there will be a significant switch to digital but mainly inside airports, shopping malls, and railway stations. This is also due to the fact, that in most countries regulations for digital billboards are very restrictive...."

Kit Kat and MediaShop (JHB) take top honours at OH! awards
2011-05-20

OH! Awards: Nestle won the coveted overall category accolade, as well as the street furniture category prize for its KIT KAT 'bench' advert at the annual OH! Awards held in Johannesburg last night. MediaShop (Johannesburg) walked away with the Best Media Agency, an award introduced this year. Hosted by Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) and staged at Fairway Hotel and Spa, Randpark Golf Club, the OH! Awards brought together out of home media owners, advertising agencies and corporates, honouring the out-of-home industry's best creative talent.

The full list of 2010 OHMSA Award winners and finalists Out of Home Media SA
2011-05-20

All the winners of the annual OH! Awards, hosted by OHMSA in Johannesburg on 19 May 2011. For the first time this year, a media agency award was given, which was won by MediaShop (Johannesburg). The award acknowledges media agencies that support the out of home medium, with the winner chosen using data collected from online questionnaires completed by OHMSA members interacting with media agencies on a regular basis.

Tackling the tricky out of home environment
2011-05-13

The out of home advertising industry faces many challenges. Complex legislative issues from town to town, city to city; a lack of research to back the sector’s claims of effectiveness; no tools to compare the out of home sector’s efficacy to television, the print media or radio; a perception by some that perhaps out of home is the Cinderella of the advertising world. It’s this world that the newly appointed CEO of the industry body, Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA), Melissa Moore, has just taken on. Not that the challenges faze her in any way; in fact, the woman who trained as communications and media lawyer is looking forward to leading the charge in sorting out the industry’s issues. “I want to bring roleplayers in the sector together,” she says. “We need an industry-wide strategy. We must set goals, open up debate on the issues affecting us. OHMSA is an industry body so we need to work together and consult with each other to achieve what we need to as an industry.”

Number one on her list of priorities is to undertake an investigation of the legislative environment. “We want to pursue an investigation into the by-laws and regulations affecting the industry. The current shortcomings are that they differ in the provinces and that they are arbitrarily applied.”

OHMSA appoints executive director
2011-04-18

Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA), the only recognised trade association representing the out of home media industry in South Africa, has appointed attorney, Melissa Moore, as its new executive director. Taking over from acting director Barbara Cooke, Moore will assist OHMSA in planning a new strategy to guide the association into the future. Crucial to Moore's new strategy is an investigation into the regulation of the out of home industry and an audit of the by-laws countrywide. This ensures OHMSA members meet constitutional standards. "OHMSA members represent approximately 85% of the out of home advertising spend in South Africa, indicating we are have a strong presence and voice in the sector. Our aim, apart from growing our member base, is to create a vibrant, strategically aligned and well respected industry," says Moore. "Open and frank debate between all industry stakeholders is crucial."

Magna Global's advertising forecast for 2011
2011-04-11

Out-of-home media has straddled trends facing new and old media for many years. While conventional poster faces are arguably the oldest form of advertising, digital billboards and related signage are based on cutting-edge technologies. But the most important factor supporting outdoor advertising's growth is the ease with which a range of solutions can be provided for advertisers of all sizes. In 2011 - when we expect growth of 7.9% - and in years beyond, the sector should grow at a faster pace than advertising overall. Accounting for$26.3 billion in revenues during 2011, Out-of-home advertising will generate $38.6 billion in revenues in 2016.

London 2012 organisers start online auction of outdoor advertising space
2011-04-04

On April 4, London 2012 organisers fired the starting gun on a £250m eBay-style online auction of outdoor advertising space as Olympic sponsors including Coca Cola, McDonalds and Adidas begin bidding for prime sites across the UK. Sponsors and their agencies were hunched over keyboards across the globe on to secure the pick of some of the most sought after outdoor advertising sites in the UK.

Ambient advertising comes to the aid of endangered animals
2011-04-01

Ambient advertising has reached new heights in the fight to protect endangered animals. Embattled game farmers are selling advertising rights on South Africa's big five in a bid to raise money for conservation efforts. Easter bunny under threat...

Outdoor Hall of Fame results
2011-03-31

TBWA's "Hello Boys" billboard for Wonderbra has been voted the best poster ad ever created, in Campaign's Outdoor Hall of Fame, held in association with the Outdoor Media Centre. In second place was Saatchi & Saatchi's "Labour Isn't Working" poster for the Conservative Party from the 1970s. The iconic 1914 army recruitment poster "Lord Kitchener Wants You", by Caxton Advertising, took third place, ahead of a top 10 that also features work for Apple by TBWA and for The Economist by AMV. The 100 posters and the top 10 can be seen on the Outdoor Hall of Fame microsite.

Atheist Advertising Campaign
2011-03-30

"Are you good without God? Millions are."
"Imagine no religion."
"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Atheist ad campaigns are everywhere. Around the U.S. and around the world, atheist organizations have been buying space on billboards, buses, TV and more, with messages ranging from the mild-mannered "Don't believe in God? You are not alone" to the in-your-face "You know it's a myth."

Digitally Ad-Wrapped Skyscrapers Coming to L.A.?
2011-03-24

The Los Angeles City Council is widely expected to approve a controversial precedent on March 29 when it backs a plan by a Korean multinational corporation to create two downtown skyscrapers, the "Wilshire Grand," whose 12-story base will be wrapped with 5-story-high, ultrabright digital advertising billboards. Ignoring opposition from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's appointees to the City Planning Commission, on March 11 City Council members Paul Krekorian and Ed Reyes embraced a plan for huge billboards on the Wilshire Grand project. They relied on the argument that the huge advertisements, which would be 12 times larger than big digital billboards erected two years ago on main streets, including La Brea Avenue, are not "billboards" at all, and thus don't fly in the face of Angelenos' opposition to more billboard ads, or run afoul of the City Council's own 2002 ban on new billboards.

'Exciting' OOH canvas for South African Tourism
2011-03-23

South African Tourism Board has launched an extensive and innovative nation-wide outdoor campaign to woo Indian travellers to make an informed choice and plan before the season creeps up. For this, SA Tourism India has engaged OAP for the campaign execution. The campaign which focuses on four aspects about holidaying in South Africa, namely, wildlife safari, scenic beauty, outdoor adventure and world-class shopping,

Planning Commission gets an earful about digital billboards
2011-03-17

The City of Tacoma Planning Commission got an earful Wednesday, at a public hearing about proposed changes to the city's sign code that would allow for the installation of digital billboards. The changes are proposed as part of a settlement agreement made between the city and Clear Channel last summer following a lawsuit brought by Clear Channel, and would allow Clear Channel to replace some regular billboards with digital ones. The first change would remove more than 50 standard billboards in exchange for 10 new digital billboards. After that, the boards would be traded out at a 5-to-1 ratio. Person after person stepped up Wednesday to speak out against the changes, citing concerns about visual blight, driving safety, environmental issues and the precedent of giving in to the demands of a large corporation.

Adstruc disrupts the outdoor ad space with Gary V, Twilio and Shepard Fairey
2011-03-16

Today the business of buying outdoor advertising space, a 6 billion dollar a year industry, is stuck in the 90s. To buy billboards, wallscapes, transit space or innovative street art campaigns requires lengthy excel spreadsheets, phone calls, and driving from site to site. Adstruc, a 4-person startup based in New York City is changing the future of outdoor advertising space, by providing an online auction and listing-based marketplace for sellers and buyers. Founder and CEO John Laramie brought his team together last summer under the mentoring of David Cohen's TechStars program in Boulder, Colorado, to build the entire system in just three months.

Where Freedom of Expression Runs Headlong Into the Impulse to Censor
2011-02-28

New York, never at a loss for self-congratulatory words, regards itself as the most tolerant of cities, a place where one may express any thought freely. It is true. In New York, one may articulate any idea whatsoever - as long as that idea parallels popular opinion. Stray too far from generally accepted wisdom, though, and you are asking for trouble.

The latest to discover this reality is a Texas group called Life Always, which bought billboard space in SoHo to deliver an anti-abortion message rooted in recent statistics from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. They showed that in 2009, 41 percent of all pregnancies here ended in abortion. The abortion rate for black women was even higher, almost 60 percent. Up went the billboard on a building at the corner of Avenue of the Americas and Watts Street. It showed a black girl with these words above her head: "The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb." Was this anti-abortion statement subtle? Hardly. Accurate? Depends on your politics. Offensive? For some people, yes. Out of step with mainstream thought in New York? For sure. And so, a few days ago in this most tolerant of cities, a raft of elected officials wasted no time calling for the billboard's removal. Lickety-split, the sign came down.

MOVE celebrates its first anniversary
2011-02-23

The Board of MOVE (Measurement of Outdoor Visibility and Exposure), met yesterday to mark the first anniversary of MOVE's launch, which has been one of the drivers in the exceptional year the industry has enjoyed. Twelve months on from the launch of its audience measurement system, the Out-of-Home industry in Australia is looking better than ever ending 2010 posting a healthy 19% increase on net revenue year-to-date, up from $400 million in 2009 to $477 million in 2010.

Installation of the UK's first gantry
2011-02-15

The A56 in Greater Manchester is now the site of the first advertising structure to span a highway in the UK, says JCDecaux, who installed the arch in partnership with Trafford Council. The Trafford Arch was designed specifically for the site and was launched with an advertising campaign from JD Sports to celebrate the recent Manchester Derby. The arch will be flanked by turrets once it is complete, and frames a 4.6 x 18m advertising panel.

OHMSA ratchets up the research
2011-02-15

Barbara Cooke took over the steering Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) in the capacity of acting CEO in August last year, coming out of retirement to do so. At the time, she was quoted as saying the main problem in this industry sector was the “lack of research to prove OOH’s effectiveness”. “The South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) offering is less than exciting, and the few questions that are included in the AMPS questionnaire do not provide an opportunity for media planners to evaluate the medium’s effectiveness in delivering audience against that of TV, print or radio,” Cooke said.

Prismaflex creates day/ night billboard
2011-02-02

Prismaflex was asked to produce a Day / Night print for its client, OMD. The end result was highly impactful and exceeded the client's expectations.

WONSA's predictions for 2011
2011-02-01

Print media is under increasing pressure with fast dropping circulation figures which will certainly loosen up budgets, creating marketing opportunities for outdoor companies in general. The digital space is still too small, fragmented and slow to really take up the adspend losses from print media. Inside the outdoor arena WONSA predicts growth in the street furniture and unlimited space but beware of a traditional billboard comeback through the latter part of the year.

2011 trends: a year of hard work for brands
2011-01-17

If 2010 could be summed up as soccer, vuvuzelas and national pride, 2011 will be all about the hard work of restoring the economy to sustainable growth, paying attention to environmental concerns and mastering the technologies that are changing the world. Here are a few trends to watch in 2011.

Steaming Billboard is The Talk of The Town
2010-12-10

The Knorr campaign, advertising the single sachet Cup-A-Soup by emitting steam at certain times surely drew the attention of motorist and it even featured in the Andy Rice's Ad Feature Facebook group with numerous people commenting on the product.

Outdoor Media - The Full View
2010-11-30

Outdoor media in South Africa has evolved in leaps and bounds over the past two decades but there are certain key elements that allow some media owners to outshine the rest. While traditional outdoor media has its place in building and sustaining brands, there are a handful of iconic outdoor sites that stand out from the rest. These sites rose out from the need to find solutions to metropolitan areas on the verge of being cluttered with outdoor advertising.

The rise of the entrepreneurial landlord
2010-11-10

South Africa's out-of-home industry is viewed historically as a small group of big players holding tightly onto their territory. Smaller businesses trying to gain a share of the pie have to work hard to get so much as a toe in the door; not necessarily because they are muscled out by the might of the big boys, but because the legislation surrounding the industry is far too costly to bear. Now there's a new wolf at the door: the rise of the entrepreneurial landlord. Why sell your patch through a media buyer and media owner when you can go directly to the client and benefit from a deal far sweeter than the current going rate of between 20% and 25% of the net site rental?

Is this the Future of Outdoor? - Linking with Online
2010-11-02

An innovative use of Facebook and real world outdoor advertising asks people to check into a billboard. Polydor and ted@Mediacom have launched a campaign for Cheryl Cole's latest album that links social media and Outdoor advertising.

Outdoor Advertising No Longer 'Hit or Miss'
2010-10-26

A strategic approach using independent auditing, research, verification and benchmarking is making the advertising industry sit up and take notice, and industry leaders predict massive growth for the sector in the coming months. Carni Wilkens, who heads Posterscope, the world's largest out of home (OOH) media strategy company, says the industry has at last "come of age". She said industry leaders like her group has had to lead the way in professionalizing the sector, and now that the standards have been improved upon, share of outdoor spend is set to grow. She predicts outdoor advertising will soar from its current share of only 4.4% of total advertising spend to closer to 10% - in line with Europe and the USA - in the next 5 years.

11% of Ad Spend on Outdoor is what it should be!
2010-10-19

Mike Baker, the OAA's new CEO, unveiled research that The 'Brand Building Power of Outdoor' study shows that brands which spend more on outdoor develop greater presence and 'fame'; are seen as more confident and drive online search. In addition, the research shows that 'rising and thriving brands' such as McDonald's and easyJet typically invest a higher share of their budgets in outdoor. Baker said he doesn't think this is a coincidence. In an attempt to prove the effectiveness of outdoor to advertisers, Jim Jarrett, business director at Mindshare, explained the research, which used Millward Brown's BrandZ database of more than 300 brands across 20 categories, monitoring their progress over a five year period. The key findings, according to Jarrett, are that outdoor brands are more confident; outdoor drives search; outdoor builds brands by establishing strong foundations; and it grows younger brands and sustains existing brands.

Google Campaign to Build Up Its Display Ads
2010-09-21

Google, the online search ad giant that rarely advertises, has decided it needs to advertise the fact that it is in the online display advertising business. And if that is not enough advertising about advertising, it has picked one of the most crowded advertising venues to get the message out - Times Square. The billboard has a message for both Madison Avenue and Wall Street: Google has a business beyond search ads. More than 90 percent of Google's revenue comes from text ads, and analysts say that Google's stock is down about 17 percent this year because investors are waiting for the company's second act.

100,000 live bees plead for help on billboard
2010-09-02

In England, the Banrock Station winery created the "world's first ad with live bees" to call attention to the problem. They used queen-bee pheromones to attract a giant swarm of bees (as many as 100,000, according to the BBC) from a nearby honey farm to spell out an "SOS" message on a billboard.

No bees were harmed and no one was stung during the stunt. Clare Griffiths from Banrock Station tells the BBC: "We thought there was no better way to raise awareness of the British bee decline than get the bees to tell their story themselves.

Barbara Cooke drives OOH media research
2010-09-02

Renowned research innovator Barbara Cooke has been appointed as the interim executive director of Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) following Les Holley's resignation effective 1 September 2010. "The international trend is one of growth and as South Africans become more mobile and more adventurous, this medium will literally stop them in their tracks," says Cooke. "The research will be a powerful tool to move OOH from being seen as a 'Cinderella' medium to that of a mainstream medium; one not to be left off the schedules," she says.

Selling the Great Outdoors--Online
2010-08-28

John Laramie and his cohorts at ADstruc are taking the multibillion-dollar industry of outdoor advertising where, inexplicably, it's never gone before: to the Web. Remarkably, the $5.8 billion outdoor advertising business represents one of the few media that are still bought and sold exclusively offline without any of the efficiencies the internet provides. ADstruc puts planning and executing an outdoor ad campaign a single click away, or as Laramie puts it, "as easy and as transparent as Google Adwords."

Outdoor Advertising Industry Recycles 1.5 Million Pounds of Single Sheet Posters
2010-08-26

In the first seven months of 2010, the outdoor advertising industry recycled 1.56 million pounds of the PE (polyethylene) substrate on which billboards are printed. This represents a better than 100 percent increase over recycling in 2009, the first year in which the industry engaged in a coordinated recycling program.

More than 70 percent of all poster size billboards in the United States now use recyclable substrates.

Out-of-Home Revs Gain Momentum, Up 3.6%
2010-08-23

The out-of-home advertising industry saw total revenues increase 3.6% to $1.88 billion in the second quarter of 2010, according to new figures from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. This is the first year-over-year gain since the second quarter of 2008, when revenue grew 1.7%, and the biggest gain since the fourth quarter of 2007, when it grew 6%.

Top TV recycles old billboards
2010-08-05

Following Top TV's three month marketing campaign, the old banners were donated to organisations in Cape Town and Mpumalanga for recycling. A community upliftment project in Mpumalanga will convert the material into durable shopping bags, fishing bags, aprons and outdoor furniture covers and in Cape Town a non-profit organisation which teaches communities how to grow their own food will be using the banners as nursary shading, compost covers and pond lining.

The effectiveness of Out of Home revealed
2010-08-03

This week Primedia Unlimited, in partnership with TNS Research Surveys and GSM Quadrant, released the results of their comprehensive research campaign, revealing fascinating consumer response insights and proof of the effectiveness of Out of Home advertising.

51st out of home FEPE Conference - Lebanon
2010-07-26

170 delegates from 29 countries, who operate in the Out of Home (OOH) space, converged in Lebanon for the 51st FEPE Conference. Touted as the most successful FEPE Conference to date, delegates were treated to the insights of the industry's most knowledgeable thought leaders from around the world.

Barry Sayer, CEO of Continental Outdoor (South Africa), provided food for thought with his speech entitled 'Is the billboard dead'. It was established that billboards are very much alive, particularly with advancements being made in digital and green awareness.

In an inspirational speech given by Francois de Gaspe Beaubien from ZOOM Media (Canada), it was concluded that OOH is presently in a very good position. According to De Gaspe, traditional press and TV audiences are on the decline, whereas OOH is the second-fastest growing medium to the internet.

The revolution of sensory branding in the marketing industry
2010-07-22

Sensory marketing is going through an interesting revolution in that it now goes beyond appealing to the expected senses of sight and sound, to include the use of certain tactile teasers and scents in-store to advertise products.

A popular highway in North Carolina is now home to a scent-emitting billboard for Sheffield & Sons USDA Choice Angus brand of beef. The billboard was equipped with 'scented air technology' (fragranced oil cartridges that blow into the air) to emit the peppery grill scent during 'prime commuting hours' of 07:00 to 10:00, and again between 16:00 and 19:00.

And closer to home the Knorr Cup-A-Soup billboards are causing motorists to rubber-neck as they try to figure out whether the adverts are on fire or just really hot.

3D building projection of brand campaigns enthralls audiences globally
2010-06-22

Outdoor media has always provided a larger-than-life presence for brands of all hues. Now, technology has enabled brands to have an overpowering presence in the outdoor space, through the growing medium - 3D building projection.

In May BMW launched the first interactive 3D building projection in Asia and Samsung became the first company to introduce a large-scale 3D outdoor projection in the Netherlands on May 20.

Heaven forbid we return to business as usual in the city
2010-06-18

Cape Town will never be the same again. Not after the experience of the World Cup. I’m not talking about the infrastructure legacy, or the new facilities created, or the worldwide exposure for Cape Town as a destination. I’m talking about the way in which our attitudes to using the city have been changed, and how we can now imagine new ways in which our city can work.

There are now more colourful images in town in the form of outdoor advertising, flags and banners, and the wrapping of trees. The sky hasn’t fallen on our heads. Table Mountain remains our favoured icon. People still appreciate our architectural heritage. But we’ve allowed a more colourful city personality to emerge. Let’s not go back to the status quo.

Sanity prevails
2010-06-05

After several months of negotiations, the City of Cape Town has temporarily relaxed some of the provisions of the outdoor advertising bylaw to allow the Dutch Government to place a mural on the wall of the Dutch Consulate (corner Wale and Buitengracht) in time for the 2010 World Cup.

Hyundai’s Giant Vuvuzela
2010-05-29

In keeping with Hyundai’s “Bring the Gees” message, their agency The Jupiter Drawing Room has constructed this massive Vuvuzela on the unfinished bridge in Cape Town. Football Fever is here people!

Organisations which are constantly looking to see what the competition does cut back on advertising when everyone else does. But proactive companies forge ahead, increasing exposure while others lie low. As Professor Razeghi correctly observed, “It’s quieter when it’s less crowded.” Less noise obviously implies more attention to well marketed brands and a greater return for their ad spend.

More on Hyundai's innovative and successful recession marketing campaigns here.

Ad agencies asked to use solar power
2010-05-28

In the first significant attempt to promote the use of solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emission, the environment department in Kolkata has asked all billboard agencies to go green or get blacked out.

“All backlit billboards have to sever grid or generator connection and go solar. Those using grid electricity have to make the switch by December, but those powered by diesel generators have to switch from June 5 — World Environment Day,” said environment department principal secretary M L Meena.

OFT investigates outdoor advertising sector
2010-05-18

The Office of Fair trading has launched a review of the outdoor advertising sector to scrutinise the concentration of buying and selling power. The review will look at the structure and competition within the sector and will “consider whether there are any distortions of competition or barriers to entry”. The OFT says: “The outdoor advertising sector has a complex, multi-levelled structure, with advertising agencies, specialist buyers of outdoor advertising space, outdoor media owners who provide the space, and site owners such as local authorities.”

Crashed Cars Billboard
2010-05-01

Or Yarok, the Association for Safer Driving in Israel, has just started a 3 month campaign to raise awareness of drunk driving. The installation includes 80 crashed cars, totalling 15 tons of metal shaped into a giant bottle, which displays the message - "Don't drink and drive".

Coat Maker Transforms Obama Photo Into Ad
2010-03-28

A garment company in New York known for publicity stunts has seized the attention of the Obama administration. The Weatherproof Garment Company installed a billboard in Times Square on Wednesday showing President Obama wearing what appears to be one of its coats. The White House expects to contact the company on Thursday and to ask it to take the billboard down, aides said. “This ad is clearly misleading because the company suggests the approval or endorsement of the president or the White House that it does not have,” said a White House aide.

More cities ban digital billboards
2010-03-24

As the USA cracks down on texting while driving, more than a dozen cities around the nation have banned what some consider a growing external driving distraction: digital billboards. Digital billboards change images every four to 10 seconds, flashing multiple messages from one or more advertisers on the same sign. Opponents such as John Regenbogen of Scenic Missouri deride them as "television on a stick." Several communities have banned digital billboards outright, the most recent being Denver earlier this month. Other places have put a moratorium on them pending a federal study on whether they distract drivers. At least two other cities and two states are studying moratoriums.

No place like (out of) home
2010-03-08

Barry Sayer, CEO of Continental Outdoor Media, is widely hailed as the man who cleaned up the local outdoor industry... "Africa in a way presents the last frontier and we know there are challenges. Things like running efficient back offices, environmental concerns and corruption." On the last issue he is quite firm: "We will not do business where there is corruption. We have pulled out of certain African countries to avoid being subjected to corruption of any sort." Corruption, clutter, badly positioned boards, a lack of quality control, pushy sales techniques and rowdy parties led to the industry being labelled as run by a bunch of cowboys. This, Sayer set out to change and did so.

South African Tourism launches 18-city outdoor advertising campaign
2010-02-18

South African Tourism has undertaken an extensive national outdoor advertising campaign to woo the Indian traveller this summer. The campaign kicks off in 18 cities across the country – the first ever for an international tourism organisation. The campaign focuses on 4 unique aspects about holidaying in South Africa – wildlife safari, scenic beauty, outdoor adventure and world-class shopping.

Colourful ‘green' bags from Sandton City
2010-01-29

Sandton City's fabric ‘hanging banners', featuring the vibrant advertising from the centre's previous promotions and campaigns, have now been re-used and designed into chic shoppers.

"Sandton City is passionate about our environment and we have started a number of initiatives as part of our re-use and recycle ethos," says Sharon Swain, Sandton City centre manager. "In addition to being made from recycled material, these bags are truly gorgeous and we hope this will encourage our shoppers to use them time and time again, which will also contribute to saving our environment."

There’s a New Predator on the Prowl
2010-01-26

The new corporate identity for the Outdoor Advertising company, previously known as INM Outdoor (Pty) Ltd, was unveiled at a function at Montecasino last week. The new name for the business is Continental Outdoor Media (Pty) Ltd.

SkiCo ramps up marketing with city billboards
2010-01-19

Billboards have been banned in Aspen since 1958, but Aspen Skiing Co. has just put up billboards in San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles promoting direct flights to Aspen/Snowmass. The billboards show either a skier catching air off a cliff or Aspen snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler going big with the headline “It’s Time to Fly” and underneath it: “Daily Non-Stops to Aspen/Snowmass.”

Billboard provocations to sell power of outdoor advertising
2010-01-04

Billboards featuring controversial statements such as "Career women make bad mothers" and the anti-World Cup "1966 - It won't happen this year", feature in a national campaign designed to prove there is more to getting a message across than advertising on Google. The campaign, which has echoes of the look of the atheist bus campaign's "There's probably no God" ads, is designed to draw attention to the power of outdoor advertising in the UK.

Christmas brings cheer to outdoor advertisers
2009-12-29

The Christmas season has provided cheer for outdoor advertising firms after slow business during the year as firms cut their advertising budgets in response to uncertainty in the business environment. Players in the sector say the uptake of space has been on the rise since October.

World Outdoor Advertising Market to Reach US$30.4 Billion by 2010
2009-11-26

Driven by the waxing popularity of out-of-home lifestyles, and the ensuing effectiveness of outdoor media, the world market for outdoor advertising is projected to reach US$30.4 billon by the year 2010. While major, and mature markets like Europe, United States and Japan, take a pause, emerging markets like Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa are expected to rise to drive future growth. With a growth potential of 12%, and 10% respectively, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa represent optimum regions for ferreting market opportunities.

Cape Town's new billboard rules
2009-11-09

The City of Cape Town is to introduce a new outdoor advertising by-law, which controls all outdoor advertising such as shop signs, posters and billboards. According to Alderman Brian Watkyns, Chairperson of the Planning and Environment Portfolio Committee (PEPCO), the new Outdoor Advertising By-law will strike a balance between outdoor advertising opportunities, economic growth and Cape Town’s unique environmental and cultural heritage assets.

Posterscope's look at good vs bad creatives
2009-11-01

Monthly, Posterscope will be taking current campaigns and show Good vs Bad OOH Creative. Using creative well is very important for any media format but especially OOH. Factors such as structure placement, environment and obstructions play a part in how well a brands creative is seen and consumed by the target market. Using Posterscope’s tool, PRISM CREATIVE, we can show brands what their creative will look like before the site actually goes up to make sure they are using OOH 100% effectively.

2010 Billboard Fury Rages On
2009-10-28

A war is brewing between soccer's world governing body, FIFA, and two of South Africa's outdoor marketing giants over lucrative advertising billboards alongside major routes to 2010 stadiums.

A Battle, on Billboards, of Ads vs. Art
2009-10-25

One group of artists and activists spread across Lower Manhattan, transforming innumerous wheat-pasted posters — the ones that readily sprout over scaffolding — into their own canvas. They would whitewash the posters and then create their own work, or allow anti-advertising advocates to spread their own messages. But just as quickly as they whitewashed and put up art, workers arrived to put up new posters where the artists had obscured the old ones. And so it went, back and forth, with drama, confrontation and even a few arrests by day’s end.

Bayer's 'Media Facade' redefines building-vertising
2009-10-09

You may think that once you've seen one building turned into a massive billboard you've seem them all, but that would mean you probably haven't seen the so-called "Media Facade" now adorning Bayer's former HQ in Leverkusen, Germany. Built by ag4 media facade GmbH and GKD AG, the massive display apparently consists of 5.6 milion LEDs that cover the entire 17,500 square meters of the building, and which can be lit up at will to pump out gigantic advertisements worthy of any science fiction movie. You'll note this is the former Bayer headquarters -- it seems that the promise of 'round the clock ads visible for miles around saved the building from the wrecking ball.

Billboards stand tall in ad industry
2009-10-01

In times of recession, companies need proof that their chosen method of advertising works. The recent OCS (Out of home consumer survey) conducted by Posterscope South Africa has released statistics that show that billboards are the out of home advertising method that is still the way to go in raising brand awareness.

A sample of 75,000 consumers worldwide, including 2,000 in South Africa, was asked to indicate how much they believed out of home advertising in various areas influenced their opinions on brands and companies. Billboards came out tops; way ahead of more modern digital methods of advertising such as plasma TV’s in shopping aisles. 85% of respondents said that they were the main advertising method that caught their attention in shopping centres and supermarkets. 73% of the sample noticed billboards on the side of buildings whilst 70% noticed them at taxi ranks.

Future of outdoor advertising
2009-09-14

Outdoor advertising media is now able to interact with its audience directly because it is able to connect to mobile IT devices. This is the opinion of Ron Atkinson, managing director of Clear Channel Outdoor, a market leader in outside advertising. "Mobile technology has made outdoor really interactive - it's brought new levels of communication and engagement," he said.

Billboards to boost SA tourism & economy
2009-09-01

Some 10 billboards depicting South Africa's scenic landscapes would be erected on major boulevards in Gauteng, "as this is the province that is the greatest source market for domestic tourists", said Van Schalkwyk. Through domestic travel, people learned more their country, its diversity and tourism offerings. "You also help to improve service levels and the competitiveness of the industry as a whole. This in turn makes all of us better hosts for regional and foreign visitors."

Billboard cites Gates, Microsoft as inspiration in tough economy
2009-09-01

A campaign by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America is trying to get the country to buck up and look forward to better times -- and it's using Microsoft and Bill Gates as inspirational material. "Bill Gates started Microsoft in a recession," reads one of the billboards in the campaign...

Downturn bottoming out, says Independent News & Media
2009-08-29

Independent News & Media (INM), the owner of The Independent, is confident of agreeing a deal with holders of €200m (£176m) worth of bonds due for repayment shortly, the company said yesterday, adding that it believes the advertising downturn may finally be bottoming out.

SA in need of Laduma! jab
2009-08-18

LOC marketing manager Derek Carstens calls on host cities to start selling their cities ahead of the event, pointing to the recent erection of 1 800 billboards by the City of Joburg and the "Football Friday" initiative by Southern Sun.

SA Outdoor Trends
2009-08-12

Outdoor media statistics from SAARF's AMPS database (2002-2008) which compares the reach of ads on billboards, stores, bus shelters, trailers, dustbins and different forms of transport.

SA gets ready to welcome fans
2009-08-08

Nelson Mandela Bay’s brand new stadium was the first newly-built 2010 FIFA World Cup™ stadium to be completed and the city is now another step closer to World Cup readiness with the launch of its visitor information centre. With just 315 days until the start of the World Cup, the centres are aimed at improving the South African tourism offering with a view to enhancing service excellence, growing tourism and creating opportunities for local economic development.

2010 - an advertiser's dream
2009-08-07

If South Africa can pull off this event with the style, panache and uniquely African charm that surges through all of us, then the eyes of the world that were glued to their televisions for a month will turn into feet stepping off planes at OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airport. And the dollars, pesos, euros and pounds that those foreign visitors bring in will continue to enrich the country long after the final plastic cup is collected from under a dusty, deserted stadium seat.

Sanlam utilises key Cape Town site
2009-08-03

The Cape Town CBD has seen some creative OOH recently. A highly visible site located on the Corner of Adderly Street and Heerengracht forms part of Sanlam Investment Managements “It’s hard not to panic campaign” which has made use of building wraps around the country.

Outdoor billboards still kicking
2009-08-03

Google is renting outdoor billboards to promote its Google Apps product on four of the Nation’s busiest metropolitan freeways: San Francisco’s Highway 101, New York’s West Side Highway, Chicago’s Eisenhower Expressway and Boston’s Massachusetts Turnpike. There will be new messages for each day of the month luring commuters away from Microsoft 7’s Open-Sourced Office Suite to the Google Apps suite. But why would Google choose to advertise a product grounded in cloud computing in such a tangible place like a billboard? Turns out billboards still work.

Google using billboards to lure IT into Google Apps embrace
2009-08-03

Google has begun a new ad campaign for its enterprise services, but it isn't your typical Google venture—it's going oldschool. Starting today and running for the next four weeks in August, Google will be running a series of billboards—yes, real ones—in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco in order to showcase the benefits of "going Google" for business. The hope is that more business owners will ditch managing their own e-mail, calendaring, and doc sharing solutions in favor of Google Apps—especially now that they're out of beta.

Billboards with message 'Ghana adores you' greet Obama on tour
2009-07-11

From taxi drivers to politicians, Ghanaians reveled Saturday in the first visit of an African-American president to sub-Saharan Africa. "Ghana Adores You," said a billboard along his motorcade route featuring a picture of both Barack and Michelle Obama. "Welcome President Obama," said a banner covering several floors of an apartment building.

Art of Billboard Recycling
2009-06-10

Peter Schulberg, director and founder of the nonprofit Eco-LogicalART Gallery, has come up with a system to upcycle discarded PVC vinyl from billboards into artwork at Eco-LA. The annual Los Angeles event, opening on June 13th, pairs artists with PVC vinyl from billboards. The result is a bonanza of vibrant public artwork and to date, the event has diverted more than three tons of PVC vinyl from the landfill.

"In 2005, we started just with wall six canvases. For Earth Day 2007, we got billboard companies to donate time on actual billboards. First we created five, then ten, then twelve billboard art pieces. With two shows in LA and one in San Francisco to date the works have been seen over 40 million times"

"Small pieces can go for as little as US$200 and the large pieces for US$15,000. To date we've sold over 45k (US$45,000) of art on vinyl."

Advertise or die
2009-05-26

As South Africa's media feels the economic pinch, with less advertising space sold and fewer print sales, our own experts continue to encourage brands not to cut advertising and public relations altogether. Now a US study shows what consumers think

Esomar launches global guidelines on Out of Home media measurement
2009-05-07

ESOMAR, the world organisation for market research professionals has launched the first Global Guidelines for Out of Home Audience Measurement.

The Guidelines cover all aspects of out-of home audience measurement, including definitions, methodologies and standards. They aim to improve the accuracy and international comparability of audience measurement data across out-of-home formats and with other media currencies.

The trillion dollar billboard
2009-04-21

The billboards and posters for The Zimbabwean newspaper were made entirely of worthless Zimbabwean bank notes. The billboard is made up of trillions and trillions worth of Zim dollar notes, which worked out to be cheaper than using paper.

The Story of a Job Lost, and a Job Sought, in Giant Letters
2009-04-16

Pasha Stocking, a laid-off marketing & sales director spent eight months doing everything possible to find a new job. When that failed she rented space on a 14 by 48 foot billboard in Bridgeport, USA. The billboard caused a worldwide media frenzy with her ad campaign and she was constantly being requested for media interviews with national media giants such as CNN, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, MTV, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Australia Sunrise, The Jay Thomas Show, CBS Radio New York and Good Morning Connecticut just to name a few, with hundreds of mentions in national, international, newspapers, online media, blogs and radio stations.

Is this the world's first plastic bag billboard?
2009-03-19

A total of 2000 plastic bags were collected and woven together by seven self-employed crafters to create a 40m² 'canvas' billboard on which Nedbank advertised its environmental message.

Outdoor Ad Companies Debut Recyclable Eco Billboards
2009-03-19

As of 1 March 2009, the three largest outdoor communications companies in America will no longer be using paper or PVC for their billboards, citing the need to transition to more environmentally friendly materials. As an alternative, Clear Channel Communications, CBS Outdoor, and Lamar Advertising will now be rolling out Eco Posters made from fully recyclable polyethylene (PE) substrate. These new posters take less time to install, don’t require any toxic glue to paste them up, don’t peel or wrinkle like paper, and can last up to 3 times as long.

LOC to intensify 2010 marketing
2009-03-17

With less than 100 days to go the kick off of the 2009 edition of the Fifa Confederations Cup, the LOC says it will intensify its marketing and promotion of the tournament.

How a McDonald’s BillBoard is Beating Starbucks with Just FOUR Words
2009-02-27

Four words says it all. McDonald's is using these billboards to promote their new espresso drinks. This is foolproof copywriting at its best...

Billboards, a booming business during election campaigns
2009-02-10

These days, billboard advertising is one of the hottest sectors of the marketing industry and a booming and visible brand promotion business, particularly during the election campaign period.

Special events to spur outdoor advertising in 2009
2009-01-16

Outdoor advertising should still see positive growth in 2009... advertisers will "re-discover" outdoor advertising as a very effective communication platform. The amount of time spent outdoors, especially in increasing traffic congestion, offers a very good opportunity to advertisers to entertain, inform and drive consumer behaviour.

The Billboard Earthbag Project
2008-09-02

Each year the Society for Environmental Graphic Design sponsors a contest to recognize the best in environmental graphic design. This year’s Juror’s Award went to Norman Lee and Charles Houser for their Billboard Earthbag Project.

The designers say: “Because most conventional sandbags are fabricated from polypropylene, they are very vulnerable to UV rays and quickly begin to deteriorate when exposed to the sun. Consequently, earthbag shelters need to be plastered to maintain their durability during extended use.The Billboard Earthbag Project envisions using billboard vinyl as an alternative material for earthbags. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) or vinyl, a virtually indestructible, UV-resistant material that cannot be incinerated because of the toxic gases it would emit, represents a substantial portion of the PVC in the world’s overburdened landfills. Because of its durability and imperviousness to the sun and other elements, billboard PVC is an ideal material for reuse.”

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." [Carl Sagan]

















June 2020 Market Impact Survey
Timely market intelligence is paramount in these uncertain times

This report predicts that "Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the looming economic recession, the Outdoor Advertising market worldwide will grow by a projected US$11.1 Billion, during the analysis period"