How OOH swept Cannes Lions & set a new creative bar: Insights from an outdoor jury member

I've been attending the festival for over two decades, but this year I had the distinct honor of serving as a shortlisting juror for the outdoor category. In my capacity as the CMO of OAAA – the trade group that promotes the OOH advertising industry – it was electrifying to see the innovation and creativity that are driving our industry forward firsthand.

Out of more than 2,000 submissions in the outdoor category from 61 countries, I judged almost 400 pieces from over 25 markets. Here are some findings from Cannes Lions 2024.

Outdoor is a beloved medium

This year OOH took center stage at Cannes, whether it was the signage outside and around the Palais, up and down the Croisette, at the major hotels, the beach activations, the pop-ups, the wraps, the bus shelters, the giant screens and billboards. You couldn’t take a step in Cannes without seeing great OOH, and for the festival this year the creative messaging was more bespoke than ever.

OOH complexity adds a new layer of creativity

It used to be that assessing OOH creative was really simple – for either a consumer or an awards show judge. The creative work had to grab one’s attention in one-to-three seconds, otherwise the execution – usually a poster or billboard – surely failed. “Simple, bold, relentless reductionism” coupled with “stop-in-your-tracks creativity” used to win the day.

Now, the beautifully complex narratives, message development, and almost episodic brand story opportunities afforded by digital video and screens everywhere are beyond exciting. The best OOH work will always have to have a single-minded idea and be clear, but the formats have exploded with new, game-changing creative options.

With these added layers of creative complexity, the judging became more thoughtful and time-intensive as a result. We literally did not vote without reviewing every bit of the entry: the case study, the accompanying video, the media buy, all supporting pics, and cultural context information. It was fascinating, and worth every moment.

Formats + new tech make OOH formidable

The diversity of formats and technologies used in the entries was staggering – and showcased OOH’s boundless creative potential. We saw entries ranging from single, powerful billboards to transit system takeovers, from sports stadium stunts to whole city live events. There were campaigns that helped drive new legislation, protect women and children from violence and exploitation, honor cultures and change minds.

Use of ambient, experiential, custom installations, pop-ups, hand-painted murals, add-on’s, live events, stunts and social media integrations are adding excitement. And creatives are eating up advances like synchronization, heatmaps, location data, 3D holographic and anamorphic content on LED screens, next-generation QR codes, spatial audio, projection mapping, and new screen shapes. There was even a toothpaste billboard made of snow (!) and an illusory floating boat installation to boldly illustrate climate change.

OOH will continue to get more intriguing as the digital transformation continues, and it’s both the media and the creative working together to make it the most engaging platform for brand storytelling.

Evolution in action: AI & OOH

More than any other medium, OOH has adapted and evolved over centuries, innovating and incorporating the latest tech to stay relevant.

Here, tech-enabled met purpose-driven with one of outdoor’s top Grand Prix winners: Pedigree's Adoptable campaign by Colenso BBDO, Auckland. This AI-based campaign used machine learning to transform basic dog adoption listings into targeted, dynamic, digital OOH ads, integrated into Pedigree’s OOH brand campaign.

Each ad directed viewers to a personalized landing page to consider adoption, even matching dogs to certain neighborhoods, parks, and house sizes. This wasn't the use of AI for the sake of it – the campaign would have been impossible without AI.

Creative’s candy store: OOH leads the way

The buzz around OOH will only continue – it is the ultimate amplifier of campaigns, the connector to social, and the medium that gets real, IRL results.

I firmly believe that advances in modern OOH are raising the creative bar on what’s possible and are setting a new standard for all other media. Data integration and dynamic messaging allow creatives to contextualize and connect with consumers in entirely new ways. It’s storytelling on steroids, with consumer connections and engagement galore. OOH is a creative’s candy store, and a brand marketer’s dream.

I couldn’t be more excited for the future of our medium and the OOH opportunity that was on full display at Cannes, indoors and out. It was a masterclass in our medium’s future, its power and potential. Viva la outdoor!