August, 2023: Fun takes the throne, faux OOH ads stir the pot, and Lionesses ignite national inspiration

FAKING IT: THE RISE OF FAUX OOH ADVERTISING

[Written by Dominic Radcliffe ]

Welcome to the wild west world of DOOH, or CGOOH, or the altogether more classy sounding Faux Out Of Home.

The new(ish) phenomenon of digital / CGI / fake OOH is having a bit of a moment — specifically on social and trade media with Barbie, Gymbox , British Airways , JACQUEMUS , Maybelline New York , Fortnite , Nike and, most recently, Greenpeace .

The trend calls into question a couple of things: what it really means for paid media spaces, whether “real” matters, and who actually benefits from it?

There are some naysayers (as ever), who appear to be taking a puritanical approach to OOH, claiming that it isn’t the “real OOH” such as — surprise, surprise — the commercial director at media buyers Sage+Archer \ Vistar Media . Massive profit loss aside, does the consumer really care whether it’s outside or just appears to be outside? I highly doubt it. Similarly, is it fair that Maybelline’s ad generated headlines and a fairly decent sized brand up-tick and TFL saw not a penny? The possible answer to this is that TFL and other “rich” media spaces may need to start a digital publishing rights usage policy to use their image online; but does that mean influencers will then have to pay for this? Where does that end? What constitutes real use in this instance? The only real winners here seem to be the retained law firms, which will be hotly disputing all of these novel cases.

This leads to the next question of whether advertising and comms have to be real to be really effective?

Maybelline’s VP of marketing Fernando Febres claims that the whole point is to keep people guessing as to whether it’s real or not, which may be true; but that’s only one dimension of creating “fake” ads. Does it have a genuine impact with the target audience if it’s not real?

I think this is fairly simple to answer: yes, creative efficacy, reach, and impact are all amplified online, where there are more eyeballs and visible comments. Real doesn’t matter; if anything, it makes OOH more exciting if it defies convention and it brings it to more audiences.

Finally, the question of who actually benefits from this trend.

To me, it feels like any advance in technology is a) inevitable and b) should be wholeheartedly and enthusiastically embraced by the creative industries. Technology is always another string the creative bow and should be explored. Yes, Studio Ghibli films are wonderful… but so are Pixar Animation Studios . It doesn’t mean a death of brutally simple and clever OOH, it just means another format for us creatives to play with. So, we win.

The consumer gets to look at something really pretty and interesting, engaging with brands in a sort of Alice in Wonderland world of advertising, which is a wildly exciting experience.

Finally, brands get to explore a new dimension of bringing their values to life in a world, which not only has no physics (or permissions) but also no limitations to the creative vision.

The only losers, as far as I can see, are the OOH media buyers who will swiftly see their profits diminish in the face of an increasingly digital space.

In conclusion, this trend isn’t anything other than a 2023 version of what it must have been like when lenticular printing came into being. It’s just a route for creatives and brands to do bigger, more dynamic, more blue sky work. The most interesting aspect is the work that can be done for organisations that wish to create impact for causes — Greenpeace’s work “flooding the Stade de France” in oil in advance of kicking off the Rugby World Cup 2023 (which was funded in part by TotalEnergies) is an exciting example of how this great deception can be used to do great things and create great impact.

My big idea for Clear Channel or JCDecaux, or whoever — why not embrace the trend, create an augmented reality carousel for brands when audiences hold their phones up to the media space and let them pick whichever they want to share? You can then get your assets to work harder for you and create spaces which become creative playgrounds without losing profit. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it?

On a side note, Ian Padgham , who created a fair few of these types of ads, has remained quiet on the subject.

He’s actually been around for ages and made a name for himself on the now-defunct Vine platform but has recently come back into vogue due to the hysteria around CGIOOH; but his most highly ranked interview on Google from 2015 he states: “I never really go online,” along with saying the most deplorable thing someone can do is “market to children.” Hmm.

MEANWHILE AT THE LAIR

Kimpton Fitzroy London — Pawtraits

[Written by Holly Littlejohn ]

To celebrate International Dog Day on August 26th, Kimpton Fitzroy London made the entire month of August extra special for its guests.

As a pet-friendly hotel, it offered a heartwarming treat like no other: bespoke Pawtraits of guests' beloved canine companions. The hotel partnered with the talented, London-based illustrator Kitty Draws Dogs to draw the bespoke illustrations of the guests’ pets.

With a deep-rooted love for dogs and a keen eye for detail, Kitty brought the distinctive character of each furry companion to life through her exceptional drawings.

The activation was proved to be popular among the media with journalists from i-News and The Handbook receiving drawings of their own pooches as well as the story being covered in Luxury London, The Handbook, Salon Prive, and more.

The Yards — Date Differently

[Written by Holly Littlejohn ]

The pub, the park, the cinema — are you instantly turned off when a new date suggests one of these venues? The Yards felt the same… so, we’ve launched its Date Differently campaign to wave goodbye to the painfully boring first dates.

New research reveals that over half (58%) of Londoners feel that activity dates break down barriers and facilitate a more natural conversation. Based on this, the Date Differently campaign offered a series of unique dating experiences that took place throughout July and August.

Teaming up with different venues at The Yards, each one brought an exciting dating experience to the table; for example, Townhouse offered couples’ manicures and pedicures with complimentary roses and Pineapple Dance Studio encouraged daters to book onto a dance class.

The story was covered in HELLO!, Verge, and Salon Prive.

Beavertown Brewery — Pop-Up Shop

[Written by Aggy Kazlauskas ]

To round off summer in style, we helped our client Beavertown Brewery launch its first-ever pop-up shop in Shoreditch, from August 19 to September 1.

For two whole weeks, fans were encouraged to get a taste of the brewery's bold new clothing line, all the while sipping on some mouth-watering cold brews.

Tattoo artist JCG Studio was on hand to ink free Beavertown designs for anyone brave enoug, and the pop-up showcased winning art from Beavertown's Creatives Untapped competition.

Coverage highlights include Condé Nast Traveller, The Capturist, and City A.M. amongst many others.

Here Be Dragons — Summer Away Day(s)

[Written by Georgia Pigrome ]

This month, the Here Be Dragons team enjoyed an exciting summer getaway by the seaside in Brighton! Our day was filled with pier rides, a traditional fish and chip lunch, and (of course) some classic British rain. We also participated in a serene mindful marbling workshop, finding relaxation through meditation and chamomile tea while unleashing our creativity.

But the excitement didn't stop there.

A couple of weeks after our Brighton adventure, we then braved the rain once more at the All Points East festival, where we danced the night away to Stormzy's tunes.

Here's to creating more unforgettable moments with the team… can't wait for the Christmas away day. 👀

CULTURAL BITE

LIONESSES' LEGACY

[Written by Lola Campbell ]

Unless you live under a rock, you will have — in some capacity, at least — been swept up in the FIFA Women's World Cup campaign this summer. Now known as the Lionesses, the English team were roaring off the back of their EURO’s success in 2022; although they faced lots of injuries and setbacks, they were amongst some of the favourites to win the tournament.

Was it really going to happen? Were the English women’s football team going to do what the men couldn’t and finally “bring it home”?

That’s certainly what it felt like after England scrapped their way through a tough battle with Nigeria to convincingly beat the hosts, Australia, 3-1 in the semi-finals.

Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t meant to be. The finesse, prowess, and speed of Spain were no match for England (helped by some controversial referee decisions…), and they finished as runners up. The result may not have gone as hoped but England made history by becoming the first English football team since 1966 to reach a senior final on the world stage, which is impressive enough ‘till you learn that women in England were banned for playing football at a professional level for 50 of those years.

Not only did the Lionesses put women’s sporting achievements firmly on the agenda but they also inspired MILLIONS of girls across the country and have helped shape the future of female football in the UK for the better, too.

And, lastly, proving actions speak louder than words (and silencing all those critics that say women’s football can never be as good as men’s), Chloe Kelly scored a screamer of a penalty against Nigeria that was more powerful than any Premier League goal last season at a whopping 69mph. Legendary. 

Now, excuse us while we buy that Mary Earps shirt that Nike finally released…

A DRAGON RECOMMENDS

RENEÉ RAPP’S SNOW ANGEL

[Written by Aggy Kazlauskas ]

Earlier this month, American actress-turned-musician Reneé Rapp (a name you might recognise from the likes of Broadway’s musical Mean Girls and HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls), released her debut album, titled Snow Angel. 

The 12-track record is a bold and unapologetic pop statement that sees Rapp dive headfirst into deeply personal topics like growing up, grief, and Queer love. She wraps her confessional lyrics in energetic, larger-than-life sounds, vividly brought to life on tracks like ‘Pretty Girls’ & 'Poison Poison' — the latter of the two mixes in an unexpected bossa nova flair that further testifies to Rapp’s musical versatility.

The project’s title track is a neo-power ballad with vocal demands few could meet. But Rapp, with her vocal talents honed on Broadway, takes a serene, hauntingly beautiful approach before erupting in a cathartic outpouring of emotion, both joyful and pained — perfectly encapsulating the album's essence.

Snow Angel has made a huge splash since its release less than two weeks ago. It’s the biggest female solo debut of 2023 already, proving that Rapp is an artist to keep an eye on.

Reneé Rapp will be embarking on a headline concert tour across Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and Dublin, in early 2024. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!