The Out-of-Home (OOH) industry has ventured no further than its own backyard with the launch of its new campaign promoting lesser known facts about Outdoor advertising, with the tag “Outdoor advertising funds lots of good stuff.”
“Outdoor advertising is the only media that gives back to the community in this way, subsidising public amenities, including bus shelters, public toilets, park benches and transit infrastructure, as well as contributing to council fees and superannuation,” said Charmaine Moldrich, CEO, Outdoor Media Association (OMA). “It’s not a well-known fact in the community and we want to let people know how much we really contribute but we didn’t want to be too earnest about it.” The campaign launched on 31 December across OMA member inventory nationwide including Adshel , APN Outdoor, Bishopp, Executive Channel, goa , iOM, JCDecaux, Metrospace, oOh! Media, Paradise and ROVA. Over 600 ad faces will be in market in January, across the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
Creative agency Born & Raised who developed the campaign, said “Out-of-Home gives back to the community in many ways that people are unaware of, so it was fundamental that we found an engaging way to bring these messages to life. The happy and likeable billboard characters deliver the message with charm and humility. Combined with bright and simple design that lets the message win, the campaign is a showcase for effective outdoor communication.”
Moldrich continued, “Our contribution to the community might not be as obvious as it is with other media and we want to change that by raising awareness.”
Six things you didn’t know about outdoor advertising: 1) Outdoor advertising subsidises public amenities such as bus shelters, public toilets, kiosks, phone booths, park benches and pedestrian bridges. At last count, there are close to 7,000 pieces of public infrastructure provided by Outdoor companies.
Outdoor advertising is the only form of advertising that gives back to the community in this way. This contribution is estimated to be over $275 million1. 2) In 2012 the Outdoor industry donated over $15 million in advertising space to a variety of worthy causes including charities, education and sporting organisations. 3) The Outdoor industry directly employs around 750 people and the industry as a whole contributes an estimated $250 million GDP2 each year to the economy. 4) Outdoor works a treat for public health and safety messaging. Government owned sites contribute directly to roads and road safety campaigns. In fact, Government was in the Top 10 advertising categories for Outdoor in 2012. 5) Billboards help grow your super! Property Trusts (the ones who are commonly owned by your Superannuation funds) maximise your nest egg by investing in billboards on the sides of their buildings, which they then lease to produce income. 6) The public embrace the medium; 75% of people surveyed said that Outdoor advertising gives them something to look at when out and about; and a hearty 86% of people agree that Outdoor advertising makes brands and products stand out.
Outdoor Media Association
www.oma.org.au
