The OBIE Hall of Fame Award, established in 1992 to ‘reward brands that have exemplified long-standing distinction in using the OOH medium’, will go this year to Corona Extra. Since its introduction in the US in 1981, the brand’s use of OOH ads has helped it to become the fastest-growing imported beer in US history. “Using simple tropical imagery, applied to daily routines, Corona embraces the medium to inspire a welcome interruption to our busy days,” says Stephen Freitas, OAAA chief marketing officer.
OBIE is a reference to the Egyptian obelisk, thought by some historians to be the first form of advertising.
Primedia Outdoor’s marketing and marketing sales executive, Terry Murphy, says, “The awards celebrate some of the world’s best outdoor campaigns. They both inspire and set a standard for future campaigns conducted using out of home advertising. The trend of increasing integration of OOH with digital technology is likewise on the rise locally. The ability of digital technology to galvanise out of home’s inherent strengths is driving a renaissance in OOH.”
Nurlan Urazbaev, editor-in-chief of Digital Signage Pulse, notes, “The 108 nominated campaigns demonstrate the myriad ways that simplicity can be captured and expressed through the OOH medium, singling out McDonalds ‘Endless Refreshment’ campaign as an example. This shows the fast food brand’s red and yellow straw, emblazoned as an infinity sign against its characteristic red background.
“Another contender is Apple’s ‘shot on iPhone 6’ campaign, which selected 162 photographs taken by a global public using the iPhone 6. These were used on more than 10,000 billboards across 25 countries to make the largest mobile photo gallery in history.
“Along with the beauty and simplicity demonstrated by the finalists, there is an increasing integration of OOH and digital technology, which allows greater opportunities to personalise interactions with consumers.
“Marcolin’s GUESS Eyewear engaged consumers in a unique interactive way, using custom iPad additions at mall kiosks that enabled consumers to take a selfie and try on sunglasses while viewing the ad. Yet another finalist, JetBlue, created an interactive trivia game hosted within a custom-built fuselage. Mall shoppers were challenged to select the correct city from a multiple choice list corresponding with the aerial view to win a roundtrip ticket sweepstakes,” he concludes.
Read the full article here and view the full list of finalists.
