How can a brand turn heads outdoors?

Watermelon & lime centaur spotted galloping over Vauxhall bridge — that’s the kind of thing you want to be able to say about your outdoor advertising. Broadly speaking.

We help brands shape unmissable visual and verbal statements to create success in this very specific medium. It’s pretty brutal. Across a railway track, maybe you have a few seconds of somebody’s attention. But mostly it’s one or two. The blink of an eye. What would your brand say or show on a billboard tomorrow?

Outdoor ads vary wildly. From ‘trying to be too clever’ to ‘not trying to be clever enough’. The sweet spot is in the middle. Putting the effort into distilling your message, knowing your position in the world, and giving it the right emotional texture. That takes time. But then you have to land it in the most uncomplicated, instant, effortless way.

The ads shown here all reach for that bar. Simple, gettable, unmissable. From natural burial grounds to toothbrushes.

Dough! We made the ad too boring. Humour can work wonders in advertising. It doesn’t have to be thigh-slapping, cry-your-eyes-out hilarity. A bit of basic wordplay worked well for Doughlicious here. JC Decaux reported a 40% uplift in sales, with the ads performing at ten times the industry benchmark. Not bad for a simple line and a pack shot.

Funny isn’t the only emotional angle available, but it’s quite revealing to wonder how your brand would raise a smile.