18th October 2024

I was at the Manchester half marathon last weekend (13th October). And no, before you pull out the lie detector test, it wasn’t me running. I was a spectator, among a couple thousand others. What I noticed as I moved through the crowd from mile 3 to the finish line in my own mini-marathon, was a brilliant array of signs. 

One of my favourites read: “Pain is temporary, STRAVA is forever”. The difference between these signs of encouragement and funded ads plastered across billboards is that the signs know they’re in a constant direct line of communication with their audience—the runners. If I were on my last kilometre and read a sign telling me I run better than the government, you’d better believe I’m picking up my pace for the final stretch. 

With OOH (out-of-home) advertising, you never truly know who you’re talking to. Yes, there’s likely to be a large handful of commuters, a sprinkling of cab drivers, and the eyes of local business owners. But their interests, social class, and consumer needs could be worlds apart, especially where city and town centres are concerned. 

You don’t have long to form an emotional connection between your brand and the reader, not like those lengthy 30 second TV spots. You should already know your target audience, make sure your ad continues to speak directly to them, regardless of the noise outside of this group. If your copy is good, you’ll pick up stragglers. Despite demanding some of the shortest written form, crafting an OOH campaign takes meticulous planning. You have a small slot to engage with your audience, it’s crucial to land on the right messaging, use the right language and drive that CTA. The fewer words you use, the more intricate the task becomes to execute the brief well. Every word must carry a purpose. 

Keep it short, keep it punchy, but most importantly, keep it entertaining. If I’m sitting at a traffic light, why should I read your ad over watching a seagull pick apart a Greggs pasty at the side of the road? If your ad is featured on a popular commuter route, think of the language people want to read on their way to or from work. They don’t want formalities; they want fun. 

The bonus of a good OOH campaign is the added exposure if it takes off. Following the running theme (😉) of this article, Meanwhile’s recent prescription style OOH campaign for Parkrun has been doing the rounds. A total word count of six, minus the small print for the fellow visually challenged. Good OOH copy doesn’t have to put the world to rights, but it has to evoke emotion and solve a problem. As quickly as possible. No pressure.