Think outside the billboard

Arpan Jain, Chief Creative Officer of Ignite, Insync and 1.618 Studios, writes on how globally brands have set new benchmarks by exploring diverse mediums beyond billboards

The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity has showcased some incredible work this year, particularly in the Out of Home (OOH) category, which I find especially exciting. Outdoor media provides an expansive canvas for creativity, yet in India its potential remains underutilised.

However, globally, brands have set new benchmarks by exploring diverse mediums beyond billboards. We've seen a supermarket aisle in the middle of a forest, a boat floating above a lake, a navigational system for sidewalks, and innovative use of everyday items like hangers, paper napkins etc. that are so unexpected, thus memorable.

Here are some of my favourites, which have pushed the envelope and gone beyond traditional forms of OOH to bring about societal change, generate memorable experiences, and change behaviour.

This remarkable campaign from Peru, transformed sidewalks into a permanent outdoor medium. SOL cement developed a tactile signage system to help visually impaired individuals identify services by tapping the sidewalk with their cane. A horizontal bar indicates a tile, with vertical lines representing different venue categories (e.g. one line for a restaurant, two lines for a bank, three for a grocery store). It deservedly won multiple awards, including a Grand Prix Lion and several golds.

The beauty of this solution is in its simplicity and scalability. It can be implemented globally, significantly improving the lives of the visually impaired. This campaign highlights how outdoor advertising can help brands transcend business goals to address societal issues and make a real difference in people's lives.