Behind every out-of-home campaign there is a network of teams across adland that have spent months working together to make it happen. From developing the creative, to buying the spot, and activating the campaign. This industry depends on strong collaboration between people.
We’re highlighting some of these faces here. Each month, 'The Faces of OOH' will spotlight a person that contributes to OOH campaigns so we can get to know the people that keep this sector running.
Today, we speak to Annie Irvine, investment manager at EssenceMediacom.
How long have you been in your current role? One year and four months
What does a typical day look like for you? For the day to be productive it must start with a strong iced long black from my favourite café near the office. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing team on a day-to-day basis who create a collaborative and fun environment. On top of that I have the pleasure of working with an amazing client team open to new and innovative thinking. The day often involves many WIPs, quite a bit of time in excel and a few more coffees, but I am so glad to say that every day is slightly different to keep things interesting.
What do you love about working in advertising?
There are so many aspects about advertising that I love but the innovation is what keeps me coming back for more! The industry is never stagnant and there is always something new to learn, explore and challenge. At EssenceMediacom, Breakthrough Thinking is encouraged, facilitated, and celebrated and I love that! A collaborative environment where concepts can be challenged, and boundaries can be pushed. This industry is fast paced, and you have to put in the time to keep up but it’s so worth it.
What makes OOH unique?
What I find really special about OOH is how it is ingrained and woven into everyday life. This integration partnered with the versatility of this channel make it my favourite. With unique formats you can build an OOH campaign tailored to your client, your audience, and the message with almost endless possibilities for eye-catching creative execution.
What’s your favourite OOH campaign? This was a really tough one for me and I couldn’t pick just one favourite OOH campaign, but I wanted to share one that really stood out to me recently. Introducing H&M’s 2022 campaign in the UK to promote their pledge and commitment to be climate positive by 2040.
This campaign piqued my interest immediately as fast fashion and the impact it has on our environment is a topic I am very passionate about. Often when large retailers such as H&M promote sustainability it is seen as token gestures and inauthentic. So, I was really intrigued to see how they navigated this perception and faced the challenge. Multiple OOH formats were utilised including murals, banners, and the crowning jewel large format. Rather than sending the vinyl used in their static large format billboards to the landfill, the material was repurposed into reusable tote bags! What I love about this campaign is the clear link to the strategy and climate positive pledge while simultaneously creating buzz, earned media value & coverage. They took a format not typically viewed as sustainable and created a physical & tangible symbol of their commitment to sustainability that their customers could wear proudly. It clearly worked as London stores sold out of the tote bags completely!
What do you think is the biggest opportunity for OOH in the next five years?
To stay on theme, I believe that one of the biggest opportunities for the OOH industry in the next five years is the continued foray into sustainability. We have already begun to see amazing initiatives such as JCDecaux’ journey to carbon neutrality with the Nyaliga Fire Project. The registered savanna burning carbon project involves controlled early dry season burning, carried out by Nyaliga Traditional Owners. Another fantastic example is Jolt Media’s small format panels placed at EV charging stations and their carbon neutral verification program. We’re doing a lot of work in GroupM to decarbonise the media supply chain and brands are also becoming more environmentally conscious, often driven by their audience championing the topic. I expect to see a lot more breakthrough sustainable OOH innovations in the near future and I’m super excited for it.
Want to be part of our 'Faces Behind OOH' series? Reach out to mariam@veridooh.com.
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