Beyond the Illusion: Navigating the World of FOOH Advertising

It's been a little while since I've penned anything for LinkedIn. I've seen several posts recently on the same subject and thought screw it - I'll write something.

I’ve always been drawn to OOH (Out-of-Home) advertising; it's one of my favourite mediums because of its ability to grab attention, captivate and inspire action through clever copy, eye-catching imagery, and special builds. One of my favourite of all time is the BBC Dracula piece – a board of bloody stakes by day, which transforms as the sun goes down and as Dracula wakes up! Clever, eye-catching, and award-winning!

However, there is a new’ish kid in town – it’s not here to take over but it is adding some new fun to the mix by blending OOH with digital to create a new ‘reality’. The advent of Fake Out-of-Home (FOOH) allows us all to take our creativity to a new level, offering a blend of wonder, magic, and illusion that evokes a sense of childhood enchantment. It makes you question reality: Did that happen? This sense of disbelief is precisely what makes FOOH so appealing. It breaks the fourth wall of traditional OOH advertising, engaging audiences where they spend most of their time—on their smartphones and social platforms.

FOOH is more than just a new trend—it's a reflection of the creative potential within the advertising industry. It isn’t here to change OOH but it does allow advertisers to play cost-effectively with more precise targeting opportunities. The concise nature of FOOH assets and their ability to leverage a social audience to drive viewability are winning hearts and minds. I love how FOOH links the physical and digital worlds perfectly, even if it’s an illusion. The magic, creativity, and mystery of the medium are ideally suited to social platforms, driving engagement, talkability, and conversation.

However, it is not without its pitfalls. The allure of creating visually stunning content can sometimes overshadow the importance of maintaining a clear and consistent brand message. Missteps can occur when cultural nuances are overlooked, leading to campaigns that backfire and damage brand reputation. Additionally, ethical considerations around the blending of reality and fiction are increasingly relevant as AI continues to blur these lines.

Great FOOH work strikes a balance between creativity and brand integrity. Some campaigns have successfully leveraged FOOH to create memorable experiences that resonate with audiences. For example, HBO Go recently used FOOH across Asian landmarks for House of Dragons. We even saw our very own Singapore National Gallery dressed up in King Aegon’s green flags.

As a team, we’ve also had a little fun with the medium creating content for Neutrogena and their partnership with Coachella.

On the other hand, there have been instances where FOOH campaigns have missed the mark due to cultural insensitivity or miscommunication, leading to negative public reactions. FOOH requires a level of creative confidence and collaboration between clients and creatives to push boundaries while staying true to the brand's identity. For those concerned about the potential risks, the key is to approach FOOH with a strategic mindset—understanding that while the medium is new, the principles of effective advertising remain the same.

In my opinion, FOOH is a fun and powerful tool for brands looking to innovate and connect with audiences in new ways. It’s not a replacement for traditional OOH; it just shares a name and allows brands to ‘advertise in seemingly unadvertisable places.’ We’d never be able to put a billboard on Big Ben – but this medium allowed North Face to dress it in a coat and share that across social media. It’s a completely different medium and should be treated as social content. The key is to balance the magic of illusion with the reality of brand integrity, creating experiences that captivate and engage without taking it too far.