Creative, unique and emotional are the words that describe outdoor advertising campaigns. From giant LED screens to artistic installations, let’s take a look at the top 2024 Christmas OOH ads that will be memorable this holiday season.
Research by JcDecaux – Europe’s leading outdoor advertising group, recorded a significant increase in the number of people appearing on the streets and in public places in December, higher than other months (25% higher). Therefore, with a frequency of display almost 24/7, outdoor advertising (OOH) will certainly become a useful communication tool, helping brands to have strong coverage during Christmas. On the other hand, according to Billboard 2023 statistics conducted by Gitnux:
- 71% of people are aware of and pay attention to billboard advertising.
- A highway billboard typically sees about 25,000-50,000 vehicles per day.
- Revenue from billboard advertising is estimated at $7.6 billion.
- A properly placed billboard can generate 170,000 ad impressions per week.
The influence of outdoor advertising is undeniable. So how have brands leveraged the power of outdoor billboards in their Christmas Marketing Campaigns?
Coca-Cola makes a strong impression with its Christmas OOH Campaigns
Coca-Cola is one of the leading brands that invests heavily in Christmas media campaigns. The appearance of a giant truck with the image of Santa Claus holding a bottle of Coca-Cola moving around the city, or appearing on billboards waiting for buses… is a sign of the beginning of a warm Christmas season. Most recently, the “Together the Magic Happens” 2023 campaign was deployed in the Egyptian market:
In 2020, Coca-Cola made a strong impression with countdown billboards appearing across Dublin, Ireland. The use of bright LED lights and real-time countdown clocks helped the brand increase user engagement.
Spotify and its ‘Wrapped’ campaign every Christmas (2015 – present)
For years, since 2015, Spotify’s Wrapped campaign has been a staple of the brand. The company has used out-of-home (OOH) billboards to showcase years of user behavior across its music subscription service. It’s not just a pretty billboard, it’s a representation of the platform’s growth.
Each billboard features bright colors, familiar fonts, and a witty message, making it easy for viewers to get into the holiday spirit and encourage them to subscribe to Spotify’s music service.
Spotify Wrapped 2023’s creation is everywhere, with rapper Lil Yachty’s music billboard appearing on a mini yacht at a fountain in a park in Atlanta.
In Underground Atlanta, a long billboard appeared with Ice Spice’s catchphrase “Gra”
A giant DOOH ad for Spotify Wrapped in Times Square.
Taylor Swift, who became this year’s streaming queen, dethroning Puerto Rican urban superstar Bad Bunny and dominating global streaming, also appeared in a billboard this holiday.
This year’s Spotify Wrapped also features AR and 3D advertising technology.
Apple with the ‘Wonder Await’ Campaign
Apple released a special edition of its iconic white bag with a sparkling Christmas bow. Billboards featuring the bag were everywhere, especially in high-traffic areas around the world, such as Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Munich, and Paris.
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Apple launches special edition handbag in the brand’s iconic white color with a sparkling bow reminiscent of Christmas
Dunnes Stores with the message “Make Christmas for everyone”
Dunnes Stores topped the grocery market in December as Kantar recorded €1.3bn in supermarket sales over the Christmas period. This year, the company has continued to push the message “Make Christmas for everyone” on its outdoor advertising.
Ore-Ida with outdoor advertising called Kiss-mas
In the heart of the city that never sleeps, where the holiday spirit lights up every corner, Ore-Ida has highlighted its brand image amidst the bustle of New York City. Ore-Ida’s Kiss-mas billboard appears as a reminder for everyone to slow down a bit and enjoy the delicious moments, just like the couple appearing on the billboard.
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Ore-Ida Christmas Outdoor Advertising
Tesco with #BecomeMoreChristmas campaign
Tesco has delighted everyday London passersby with a stunning Christmas OOH activation in Kings Cross. Created by BBH, Kinetic, N20 and Essence Media com, the campaign kicks off with a billboard that will transform over the course of 48 hours to create a memorable Christmas experience.
H&M celebrates Christmas with unique “Unwrap The Magic” OOH campaign (2022)
H&M has created a festive and spectacular atmosphere for the British people through a unique outdoor advertising campaign called “Unwrap the Magic”. The billboard of this campaign covers both sides of a building in the famous Shoreditch street, with a special design like a giant 3D gift box measuring 218m2. Each day, a window on the billboard will be opened, creating an attractive effect when revealing the special gifts that H&M has for customers this Christmas.
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H&M’s unique outdoor advertising campaign called “Unwrap the Magic”
In addition, the campaign also appeared across the UK through large street billboards and a series of digital-outdoor (DOOH) advertising screens in public places. This helped create widespread exposure and interaction, making the brand more familiar and impressive in the eyes of consumers.
Louis Vuitton celebrates Christmas with a giant 12-story tree (2021)
Louis Vuitton (New York) has brought a very unique and novel festive atmosphere to celebrate Christmas 2021. Instead of using a traditional pine tree, they created a 2D “virtual” Christmas tree up to 12 floors high at 57 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. With a prime 2-frontage position and huge scale, the design not only attracts the attention of passersby but also immediately becomes a unique photo spot for pedestrians. The pine tree has a characteristic green color with decorative strings that are the brand’s colorful logo. Taking advantage of the technology of combining 2 perpendicular screens, the 2D design of this world’s most luxurious fashion brand has created a vivid visual effect. In particular, the words “Virgin was here” appearing on the store window is a meaningful way to commemorate creative director Virgil Abloh.
In the past, the French fashion house has also taken advantage of its favorable geographical location to promote its brand, typically the colorful Christmas tree campaign (2019), the snow-covered Christmas tree (2020)…
McDonald’s with OOH campaign “Christmas is here” (2018)
McDonald’s expanded its Christmas advertising strategy by placing ads on bus shelters across the city. Although the billboards did not show specific images of their food or any call-to-action messages, McDonald’s created curiosity and excitement through their unique imagery. This is an excellent example of the “less is more” message, simple but effective.
Cadbury with the campaign “Cadbury’s Secret Santa”
VCCP has set up Cadbury’s Secret Santa Postal Service, turning posters into a secret postal service to send out 150,000 chocolate bars. Cadbury’s campaign this time was deployed on more than 200 digital posters.
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Cadbury Post’s Christmas OOH Campaign
Conclusion
Above all, outdoor advertising is a direct language that connects with the community. From bright LED lights, real-time countdown clocks, to unique designs that resemble a giant gift on Shoreditch High Street, each advertising campaign brings a sense of celebration, excitement and positive interaction. For viewers, it is not just an advertisement, but an enjoyable experience.
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