All posts in Out-of-home advertising

Pizza Hut tied into the spirit of March Madness by creating an intriguing marketing campaign. Ever wanted to order pizza with just the push of a button? With Pizza Hut’s Pie Tops, that’s possible- and the button is in a pair of shoes.

Teaming up with “Shoe Surgeon” Dominic Chambrone, Pizza Hut’s team created the white and red pair of sneakers, sporting the brand name on the ankle strap and company logo on the tongue. Under the logo is where the magical pizza button lies.

It’s not exactly magic. Using the Pie Tops app on a smartphone, users set up their profile and make a default pie. After that, any time a pizza is desired users simply have to press the tongue of their shoes and Bluetooth connections send the order to the app. Within minutes, a fresh Pizza Hut pie will be delivered to your location, which is tracked through the shoes.

Don’t get too excited; chances are you will never own a pair. Only 64 pairs of Pie Tops were made (to match the number of teams that begin the tournament), and the majority went to media influencers. However, Pizza Hut did give a few lucky fans their own pairs.

The primary goal of the campaign is to emphasize how easy it is to order Pizza Hut pizza online or through their app. The buzz that the shoes created brought tons of publicity to the company, and gave everyone a laugh after a few moments of disbelief. Will we see more clothing with ordering capabilities in the future? Possibly, and maybe next time a company will decide to sell the merch to the general public. In the meantime, here’s a clip to help explain how these shoes actually work.

Réno-Dépôt worked with Sid Lee Montreal to come up with an extremely creative way to advertise paint. While the concept itself doesn’t sound particularly fascinating, the tech that goes into the bus stop ad is pretty impressive. A sensor captures colors within the view of the bus stop, and pulls up a corresponding SICO brand paint swatch in real time. From the colors of people’s clothes, to cars driving by, to the trees across the street, the camera captures any color within its view. As Reno-Depot boasts, “If it’s on the swatch, it’s on our shelves.” They clearly convey that they have a wide selection available. A color-changing panel in a bus stop is sure to draw attention, as people wait for the bus and simply need something to occupy their time. This innovative OOH campaign is sure to turn some heads. See the advertisement in action here.

Want to see more? Here are some other posts about OOH campaigns we loved.

This year, 4A’s premier event returns to Los Angeles. Transformation 2017 coincides with 4A’s 100th anniversary, and they’re making sure the event matches the occasion. The outstanding lineup of speakers features high-ranking executives and leaders in a variety of industries including Marisa Thalberg, CMO at Taco Bell, Ben Silbermann, CEO and Founder of Pinterest, and Sam El, EVP and CMO of the NBA. As issues such as social media marketing, agency culture, and the future of digital communications are covered, these leaders are gathering to share insights, successes and strategies to help advertisers tackle the coming years.

Year after year, the Transformation Conference continues to show growth. In 2015, Adweek named it a conference every digital marketer should consider attending. The 2016 conference brought in over 1,000 industry players to Miami Beach. Transformation 2017 promises to continue that growth.

4A’s is committed to representing US advertising agencies as well as keeping their members informed. Transformation provides strategies and tools that help to keep advertisers at the top of their game. The future-focused reputation of 4A’s Transformation is the primary reason DOmedia has chosen to sponsor this year’s conference. We will be on hand with live demos of the only demand-side platform for OOH advertising. Stop by to learn more, grab one of our coveted “Out-Of-Home Media Badass” mugs or talk shop with our team of media fanatics.

Lima, Peru is the second largest desert capital in the world, with almost 8.5 million residents. The arid city’s average rainfall is a mere .51 inches per year, but the humidity is around 98%. So, how do you tackle water scarcity in such an environment? The University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) answered by creating a billboard.

The billboard is engineered to capture the extremely humid air and turn it into purified water for the community to use. The air goes through air filters, then a series of condensers and carbon filters to liquefy and purify the H2O. The water is then collected in a central tank, where members of the community can come to fill up. Access to clean water is a crucial aspect of communities that most of us take for granted. UTEC managed to give themselves a good name, advertise themselves, and make a huge difference in a community all at once. As humanitarian efforts continue to garner attention, campaigns such as these will become increasingly common.

We continue with our notable billboards series, and today we bring you lightbulbs, roads and more optical illusions.

1- The Economist: Lightbulb

Motion sensors in this billboard make the bulb light up as a person walks underneath it in the iconic “IDEA!” fashion. Not only would this make for some pretty fun Instagram posts, a giant lightbulb flashing is sure to turn some heads. The simple design is also very efficient. You know what the ad is for very quickly without having too much else to distract you from the fun.

2- Hot Wheels: Curl

This creative ad captures the imaginative and fun nature of Hot Wheels, and a loop in an overpass is sure to catch the attention of drivers and passengers alike. The loop emulates many of the Hot Wheels tracks, and calls out to thrill seekers of all ages.

3- Ford Mustang: Fast

Ford achieves another stunner with this ad. Capturing the feeling of speed, the board gives the visual of going so fast that everything around you is a blur. The billboard is made of a strong, semi-transparent resin so that it can withstand weather while still delivering the effect regardless of time of day or conditions. There were also installments in a desert scene and tropical scene that you can view here and here.

This isn’t the first time Ford has appeared in our ad series. Check it out in our previous post.