OOH: The Ultimate Experiential Format?
Our HSBC Special Build helped capture the spirit of the pre-wimbledon calendar!
The Ubiquitous team love sharing the great work we see out on the road. And when it comes to impressive work, our industry network certainly delivers. Grand Visual and their recent work for Virgin Media and Netflix demonstrates why OOH and the special builds they create are the ultimate in experiential advertising.
Grand Visual’s eye-catching work naturally reminded Ubiquitous of our favourite OOH campaigns from the past decade. They’re a great place to start when highlighting why OOH special builds make an impact.
The who, what, where, and why.
The striking OOH activation for Virgin Media transformed Waterloo station into a gateway to three of Netflix’s biggest worlds, including Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Squid Game. The experience celebrated Virgin Media’s entertainment offering and highlighted that Netflix comes at no extra cost for Virgin Media TV bundle customers.
The two-day campaign applied bold creative to existing structures (like disused ticket offices) inside Waterloo Station, turning them into instantly recognisable touchpoints.
So, what can we learn from this idea?
Grand Visual’s work for Virgin Media is a great example of how OOH special builds can create a lasting sensory impact while driving impressions online and offline. Ubiquitous thinks there’s a clear link to traditional formats like Taxi Advertising.
Put the idea in the street: The potential of OOH is unmatched, especially when the creative uses the parameters of the environment around it. In this activation, the branded gateways for each show helped make this more than just a static ad on a frame. It created an enticing story that grabbed attention from the first glance.
Our special builds are an example of why the immersive nature of OOH is so effective. A unique special build like a piece of IKEA furniture strapped to the top of a taxi, or a HSBC taxi full of tennis balls, leaves an impression in the minds of audiences thanks to the disruption it causes in our daily routines. It’s an unexpected surprise that becomes an emotional intensifier. Further, the numerous trips it makes past famous landmarks every day creates triggers in the minds of the audiences who exist in the same world. When it comes time to count on these ‘triggers’ – at a physical or online checkout, you can believe that a memory-grabbing format like taxis played their part.
From craft to shareability: OOH compliments social media because they prompt shareable moments in your newsfeed. The activation for Virgin Media had plenty of moments that prompted snap-happy audiences.
Cadbury’s Made To Share provided plenty of entertainment to audiences.
Similarly, Cadbury’s Made to Share campaign is a heartwarming example of how the shareability of OOH formats create endless entertainment for audiences. This integrated campaign used a playful redesign of the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk packaging to acknowledge the different roles that people play in everyday situations. From recognising ‘who cooked / who cleaned / who ate’, to recognising splitting responsibilities on a road trip, each bar turned a simple moment into an opportunity for gratitude. Beyond gratitude, Made to Share is a great example of how OOH campaigns lend themselves to social media moments. Creators online remixed the copy to create laugh-out-loud moments that built on the original copy. It received plenty of traction online, with reposts and reshares evidence of the meaningful engagement it created.
Taxis truly are a Swiss Army knife that easily align campaigns with significant cultural events. From swarms to influencer pickups and drop-offs, taxis can be scheduled to take over a location and give your brand the share of voice it deserves. This always-on presence does wonders for brands that don’t just want their content seen – but want it shared online too!
Respect the brand truth: Grand Visual’s activity for Virgin Media was an extension of the story being told in-person. The Ubiquitous team is reminded of Carlsberg’s viral stunt from 2015, where a billboard in London dispensed ice-cold Carlsberg lager to throngs of excited crowds. Beyond the obvious engagement that placing a beer tap on a central London street creates, it proves that OOH provides a strong platform for your brand’s message. Carlsberg put an entertaining twist on their famous tagline, ‘Probably the best beer in the world’, replacing it with ‘Probably the best poster in the world’. It’s a clever example of how OOH formats take your brand’s message and push boundaries creatively.
‘Probably the best poster in the world’ might be an understatement for these passers-by.
The Ubiquitous team believes that taxi advertising is the golden thread that ties campaigns together thanks to its impressive reach, exposure, and frequency. A branded taxi making numerous trips past the same fixed location screens and posters advertising the same campaign creates a sense of continuity that translates to real engagement. IPA databank research, together with Peter Field and Rapport, supports this idea, finding that OOH boosts the effects of other media channels. Even better – they’re a movable OOH offering that can provide refrigerated sampling opportunities too, similar to this thirst-quenching Carlsberg poster!
Taxis are a branded touchpoint that build resonance. Matching creative with online formats, on digital billboards, and on taxis, aids recall and builds memory because they build a series of cues in the minds of audiences. All they’re waiting for is the branded trigger at the point of sale.
Sources: Clear Channel and System1 Research, Route Data 2025, based on a 150-taxi campaign in London for 8 weeks, IPA Databank, Peter Field, and Rapport Analysis.