In a world where advertising is constantly evolving, out-of-home (OOH) campaigns are taking on new roles—those of storytellers, advocates, and change-makers. These campaigns not only tell stories but also engage people in a way that inspires action, reflection, and hope. Let’s dive into some of the most thought-provoking and innovative recent OOH initiatives.
Tune into our OOH playlist for more!
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Grey Health x Jhpiego
This past holiday season, Grey Health launched the OOH initiative “Lifesaving Windows: A Look Into Maternal Health.” Presented by Jhpiego, a global leader in maternal and newborn health, the agency transformed the festive window displays on the Upper East Side of Manhattan into a moving, thought-provoking depiction of a real-life delivery room.
The unique window display highlights the real-life journey of Helena Paschal from Moshi Village, Tanzania, inviting visitors to engage in a powerful story of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of healthcare.
Ogilvy UK x Hellmann’s
This year saw the rise of BRAT summer with the popularity of singer Charli xcx’s hit album BRAT. The iconic mayonnaise brand Hellmann’s launched a timely integrated campaign through Ogilvy UK, coinciding with Charli xcx’s UK BRAT tour and referencing her infamous arena tour poster.
The activation saw Hellmann’s playfully show up at Birmingham’s bp pulse LIVE, one of the singer’s arena tour stops. The brand offered fans a free ‘club classic’ sandwich, aptly named after one of the tracks from the Grammy-nominated BRAT album, and were featured in sandwich bags referencing the cheeky UK tour posters.
RAPP x Masala Podcast
During South Asian Heritage month, Masala Podcast, the award winning South Asian feminist podcast, partnered with RAPP to create a campaign that aims to tackle the cultural taboos that many South Asian women aren’t ‘supposed to’ discuss. The campaign features fiercely proud South Asian women as well as long-term Masala Podcast fans and listeners, pictured alongside provocative and challenging headlines that relate to their personal, lived experiences around the themes of sexuality, mental health, periods, sex and more.
The aim is to provide a safe place for South Asian women to have a voice that, historically, they haven’t always had.
Havas Peru x Hyundai
In honor of World EV Day, Havas Peru and Hyundai debuted a beautiful print campaign, "The Art of Electromobility," celebrating the technology of electric vehicles. Through the visually striking illustrations, the campaign envisions a brighter future with sustainable mobility. The message is that new clean auto technology gives cities back the shine they should never have lost.
TBWA\Helsinki x City of Lahti
The city of Lahti, in collaboration with TBWA\Helsinki, launched an innovative out-of-home campaign to address the global decline of pollinators like honeybees. Instead of targeting human audiences, the campaign was designed to attract bees by creating outdoor ads that reflect ultraviolet (UV) light.
These ads, featuring floral designs, were installed at custom bus stops, forming a "bio-trail" that guided bees to new hives designed by Finnish artist Tapio Anttila. While humans saw typical posters, bees, with their ability to perceive UV wavelengths, saw a different, vibrant message. This campaign was a creative response to the ongoing threat to over 3,000 bee species, many of which are critically endangered, despite previous conservation efforts.
David&Goliath x Kia
On a more personal note, Kia partnered with David&Goliath for a very special occasion: a New Year’s eve proposal! The campaign merged romance, innovation, and the electric energy of Times Square to create a truly unforgettable moment.
Garrett Sutton and Hayle Ayers, a real-life couple from Oklahoma City, were brought to Times Square under the guise of a contest win. But as the countdown to midnight began, a dramatic 60-second video on the massive billboard revealed Garrett’s surprise: after showcasing the EV9’s sleek design, Garrett plugged the car into its onboard power station, illuminating a neon proposal message: “Hayle, will you marry me?”
The live-streamed moment was broadcast to the crowd, followed by a message on the screen that read, “Happy New Beginnings,” marking the start of their new chapter—and an electrifying New Year.
