In today's digital advertising landscape, there's one crucial truth that often gets overlooked: creative execution makes or breaks your campaign. While many marketers lead with data and targeting capabilities when discussing programmatic media, they're often missing the bigger picture. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) is fundamentally a visual medium with unmatched potential to make an impact. As a result, ad creative deserves to be the cornerstone of every DOOH strategy.

Moving beyond programmatic as a ‘channel’

First, let's clarify a common misconception. Programmatic isn't a channel - it's a buying mechanism that automates how we purchase screens, whether they're on phones, laptops, street furniture or billboards. This automation democratises buying, enabling marketers to purchase screens anywhere in the world with real-time precision.

The data-driven targeting and measurement capabilities of programmatic are undoubtedly powerful. But when we focus exclusively on these technical aspects, we risk neglecting what truly connects with audiences: creative that captivates and inspires action.

The creative imperative

Consider the statistics: 75% of an ad's effectiveness comes down to creative quality. Half of campaign effectiveness is directly attributed to creative execution. Highly creative campaigns generate twice the impact of standard ones. These aren't just numbers - they're a clear directive to prioritise creative development.

DOOH offers an exceptional canvas for creativity. Unlike standard digital display ads, which few people actively share or discuss, out-of-home creates memorable moments. When people reference their favourite advertisements, they typically mention TV spots or striking out-of-home executions, not banner ads.

The recent Singapore Sevens campaign is a standout example that perfectly illustrates the power of creative in DOOH. By leveraging 3D creative on a hexagonal screen, we dramatically enhanced what would have been a standard media buy. This innovative approach created a talking point, generating excitement among viewers and partners alike, inspiring others to follow suit.

DOOH’s flexibility & uniqueness

DOOH is also incredibly flexible, with the ability to swap out creative variations in real-time based on data. Whether it’s adjusting messaging for morning commuters versus evening shoppers, tailoring promotions based on live sports scores, or triggering content based on temperature, traffic conditions or trending social topics, DOOH can adapt dynamically to engage audiences at relevant moments in time. 

A great example is when iconic footwear brand UGG aimed to drive awareness, consideration and purchase intent for their new ‘rain or shine’ collection. Its DOOH campaign used high-impact creative with heavy branding and bold colours, paired with mobile retargeting to re-engage consumers previously exposed to their DOOH ads. The results speak for themselves: 7% lift in awareness, 6% lift in consideration and 6% lift in purchase intent.

This represents a fundamental shift in how we approach programmatic DOOH. Instead of leading only with data and technical specifications, we can start with the creative possibilities and adapt to environmental factors. We're showing clients what's possible visually before diving into the mechanics of how we'll achieve it.

The real magic happens when creative teams understand DOOH's unique environment. Popular luxury well-being brand, Rituals, leveraged premium audience data to get in front of luxury shoppers in Germany, the UK and Switzerland. The brand also incorporated store-specific data, including location and operating hours, to optimize when and where its ads were played. By activating their campaign based on where these consumers were most likely to be throughout the day, Rituals achieved impressive results, such as a +14% lift in consideration in the UK.

Jack Daniels exemplifies this beautifully with their famous London Underground ads. They recognise that the underground offers rare dwell time where consumers can read entire paragraphs about their brand story - content they'd never place in other channels. This distinctive approach aligns with the broader media strategy, ensuring each channel delivers what it does best.