2020 has been a roller-coaster, and while unexpected things happened, many companies have decided to keep a cool head, stay focused on their goals and overcome tough times by dedicating more of their time and resources to broadcast their business and attract new targeted consumers.
We’ve selected the TOP 12 out-of-home campaigns that went live in the UK this year and listed the key elements of success for you to take inspiration on. Although they all had different strategies, they all run an outdoor campaign to reach the same objective: raising brand awareness and attracting thousands of new customers to their business daily.
Check out what worked for them and how you can use the best practices to grow your own business. We are also giving you the chance to vote for the ‘December Best Campaign’ Awards on our Instagram page from 21-23 December, we look forward to your participation!
JANUARY 2020
Queensbury School in Harrow, London
New year, new resolutions! Providing the best education to their kids is a key priority for parents, and January may be the best time to take a step back and determine the additional resources their kids need to succeed at school and later in the professional world.
QSE tuition seized the opportunity to advertise their services on a billboard in Harrow.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Highlighting their mission and what makes them different
- Clearly summarising the services they are offering
- Proving contact details and location to help parents to take action quickly
FEBRUARY 2020
TGL iEstates in Colliers Wood, London
Operating in a competitive industry such as the housing market can often be challenging! Most of the real estate agencies are looking for the best way to highlight their competitive advantage and stand out from the crowd.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Promoting their mission statement
- Using visual icons that resonate with the audience
- Keeping the text to a minimum and only using keywords
MARCH 2020
Willow Estates in Greenwich, London
Letting your house can be nerve-wracking and Willow Estates know it. Their team is dedicated to offering the best service and the support that their customers need, when they need it. While they are confident about being one of the best real estate agencies in their area, they rely heavily on the customers’ word of mouth and the power of outdoor advertising.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Minimalist design and text, highlighting their competitive advantage
- Consistent branding across outdoor campaign, website and social networks
- Using local landmarks to connect with the local audience
APRIL 2020
Mead Open Farm in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Here is a great example of companies that have adapted the way they operate to comply with the new restrictions in place! Mead Open Farm have decided to promote the option for customers to come shopping at their farm without having to leave their car, making sure they feel safe and reassured to maintain their routine.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Playful illustration to target families
- Using contrasted colours to create an eye-popping ad
- Providing the location and the website link for those who may want to shop from home
MAY 2020
Etag Fixing Ltd in Barking, London
Testing and improving the campaigns along the way is part of the advertising journey! Etag Fixings Ltd changed their poster design to adapt their message to the ever-changing national situation. From promoting general building supplies to advertising product solutions for social distancing on site, they brilliantly tweaked their message to satisfy the evolving needs of their consumers.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Consistent branding across both posters
- Products are visually represented, so that consumers know what to expect
- Featuring their awards to build trust and differentiate themselves from any competitors
JUNE 2020
Chalk Street Estates in Upminster, London
Over the past few years, Chalk Street Estates have developed a service that recognises the need to make the process clear and stress-free for its property owners. Thanks to outdoor advertising, they’ve been able to raise the awareness about the quality of their service as well as the fixed fee they are offering.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Being transparent about the offer, no hidden fees!
- Knowing their customers’ pain points and turning them into a pleasure
- Adding their Trustpilot rating
JULY 2020
Grabex in Orpington, Kent
Over the years Grabex has prided itself on delivering the best quality products, for residential properties across London and the South East of England. Grabex’s last campaign objective was to help people feel more connected to their local community, while bringing attention to their services and store location.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Supporting a cause by using hashtags
- Showing real people to help the audience identify themselves
- Keeping the text to a minimum, using only a strong tagline, directions, services and logo
AUGUST 2020
Lords Builders Merchants in Ealing, London
Over the past three decades, Lords Builders Merchants have experienced strong growth with branch expansion throughout London. They recently decided to set the bar high and promote their products on a 96-sheet right on Ealing’s busiest roads to grab the attention of tradesmen commuting to and from their workplace.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Giving the brand a personality by showcasing a few team members
- Clearly listing the various products they offer
- Highlighting a loss leader to attract the audience in store
SEPTEMBER 2020
Burnhill Kitchens in Tonbridge, Kent
The best way to grab customer attention: choose a trending topic, convert it into a marketing campaign, add a dash of humour and voila! Burnhill Kitchens made good use of topical marketing to optimise the impact of their outdoor advertising.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Building trust: showing faces behind their business to humanise the brand.
- Adding a clear visual message: showing that health and safety are taken seriously.
- Creating topical content: taking the opportunity to go viral.
OCTOBER 2020
Michael Usher Mortgage Services Ltd in Camberley, Surrey
Michael Usher took into consideration the demographic of their audience to build a campaign that could resonate to their target. Their most recent advertising is all about highlighting their values and how they treat each customer as individuals, no matter their background, taste or personality.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Location and size of the billboard: the campaign is live in Basingstoke (48 sheet) and Camberley (96 sheet), both located near their offices.
- Poster change: over the past 12 months, they have tested different designs: from seeding the idea in the customer’s mind, to engaging with the audience using a humoristic message.
- Consistent messaging across all their channels: they created a smooth customer journey from seeing the billboard to visiting their website.
NOVEMBER 2020
Nested in Greenwich, London
Nested decided to creatively leverage their customers’ reviews to create their new out-of-home campaign. The housing market activity has been at a record high since last March and the real estate industry is now more competitive than ever. Nested created a brilliant outdoor campaign to stand out from the crowd and build consumer trust.
The key elements of their campaign are:
- Promoting the competitive advantage they offer,
- Quick and easy to read, legible by both pedestrians and car drivers,
- Letting their customers speak on their behalf by using a review they received online,
- Using humour to create an emotional response and making it memorable.
DECEMBER 2020
We value your opinion and would like to thank you for your ongoing support this year by giving you the opportunity to vote for YOUR favorite campaign this month! We will post the new campaigns competing for the ‘December Best Campaign’ Awards on our Instagram page during the whole month. Voting will open on the 21st December and the winner will be announced on the 23rd December.
We look forward to your participation!
