OOH is one of the most promising advertising formats. What does the future hold for it? What role does gamification play?

By Juan Pablo Veiga, VP of Business Planning and Operations at etermax Brand Gamification™

Out-of-home, or OOH, is one of the oldest forms of the ancient art of advertising. From ancient Roman graffiti — like Monty Python’s Romani ite domum — to Times Square, outdoor messages are central elements of our life in society. However, the definition of outdoor advertising and the position of users regarding ads are currently undergoing a major change.

What’s changing?

Advertising faces the need to constantly reinvent itself: it is necessary to keep up with the new technologies and trends emerging every year to create value consciously. One of the main trailblazers in the advertising industry in recent years — and in other industries as well — were video games.

With regard to OOH, we’re seeing major changes in the way advertisers communicate with their audiences. Why? Because interaction with people is more and more common. For example, digital outdoor screens now invite users to participate in recreational activities.

At first, you might think activities of this kind are exclusive to markets that invest much more in technology or that have a stronger economy than Latin America. Let’s look at China, where Nescafé launched a DOOH (digital out-of-home) advertisement consisting of a catch ‘n collect game with motion detection. This said, bumping into outdoor advertisements that use augmented reality or interact with consumers in other ways is not uncommon nowadays. We can even find them in markets closer to home: the etermax Brand Gamification™ team in Brazil is collaborating with brands to add gamification elements to their DOOH campaigns.

The world in the palm of your hand

The possibilities of DOOH advertising are endless. Not only because it allows us to experiment much more than static OOH campaigns, but also because it lets us offer new experiences with cell phones.

Cell phones are a lot more than just phones: they are computers and video game consoles. In other words, people wander around carrying powerful machines that allow them to interact with advertising screens in innovative ways. But do we know where the limit to the experiences we can offer users lies?

Even in cities or markets where DOOH initiatives are not so common and we can only resort to traditional billboards, the doors to innovation remain open. In these cases, we can always turn to the good old QR codes, a tool that gives so much to communication. But, should we use QR codes simply to deliver a brand message or to create an entertainment experience people will be interested in?

Just a QR code?

We must not fall into the trap of believing that we are gamifying an OOH initiative just by adding a QR code, like we normally see in outdoor campaigns.

The key is offering users that bump into the initiative an entertaining or challenging experience. If they scan a QR code showcased by the brand, they shouldn’t end up on a static and dull landing page. Instead, users should find a value proposition.

Let’s imagine, for example, an ad for a movie sequel on a busy corner of a capital city. A superhero movie, to be more precise. On the top-right corner, above the main character, there is a QR code. What do people who played along and scanned the code prefer? Being redirected to a page stating where to watch the movie and nothing else? Or something more innovative? As innovative as, let’s say, a challenging trivia to test their fanaticism about the enormous cinematographic universe they are passionate about?

Other options could be directing users to a mini game where they can fight against the antagonists, or taking the movie characters to the streets using augmented reality. When choosing what to show with an OOH advertisement, innovation has no limits.

Again, it’s all about making an impact on whoever sees the ad. In times when marketing noise is one of the biggest problems brands face when trying to deliver their message, subverting expectations and breaking new ground with disruptive experiences is the best strategy.

Guerrilla marketing

Gamified OOH advertising takes something from guerrilla marketing: the experiences it intends to give users are designed to be impactful. It’s not only about sending a message, but doing it in a way that users will remember.

If guerrilla marketing involves using unconventional methods to reach audiences, gamified OOH advertising is based on this same principle. Given the current advertising overload — which is becoming increasingly common — immersive and disruptive experiences add value that users appreciate greatly.