This might sound dramatic, and a little surprising to hear from a media planner from way back, but if there’s one thing that can make-or-break your Out-of-Home campaigns’ success – it’s the creative.

It’s been proven by Kantar, that up to 50 per cent of a campaign’s effectiveness is driven by the creative execution alone. Which means even with the savviest of media strategies and Australia’s most sought-after, high-quality Out-of-Home locations, if your creative isn’t right, the sad truth is, you’re leaving money on the table.

And while the industry obsesses over media metrics and audience data (don’t worry we do too!), we've perhaps been collectively overlooking the single most powerful driver of campaign success. Effective creative in Out-of-Home leads to commercial gain - a performance gap that no amount of media optimisation alone can bridge.

The science of being remembered

We know that Out-of-Home commands approximately two seconds of attention. It’s a (predominantly) visual medium that, when done well, can drive real business impact. Which is why we are so passionate about helping our advertising partners get the creative right.

Pairing globally recognised creative rating System1 methodology with JCDecaux’s databank of case studies, we recently launched a first-of-its kind creative effectiveness guide; a science-based framework designed to help brands elevate their creative and enhance commercial outcomes by linking insights to campaign performance.

Effective Out-of-Home creative can drive:

• +50 per cent lift in campaign recall;
• 2x commercial impact (store visitation, sales uplift etc.);
• 3x brand sentiment lift; and
• 4x brand awareness

What you can do right now to be more effective
 

       1. Brand fast, or don’t bother - recognition drives recall

In a fast-moving world, brands need to be recognised immediately. If audiences can’t identify your brand instantly, your campaign is at risk. This might seem obvious but, globally, 50 per cent of ads fail this test.

Our previous analysis with Lumen in the UK confirmed this insight, and we tested it again with System1. The results were clear and the commercial impact is significant: to succeed brands must achieve recognition within the crucial first two seconds of attention. And our data proves that ads achieving two second brand recognition show a 54 per cent increase in brand recall.

       2. Less is more - clarity beats complexity

When you only have two seconds to capture attention, simplicity is everything.

Many brands fall into the trap of trying to communicate too much in a single Out-of-Home ad. Our data shows that ads with one clear, focused message drive stronger brand sentiment than those overloaded with competing points.

The same can also be said for the number of words in your message. The global rule of thumb for Out-of-Home is no more than seven words. This was validated by our System1 research, which shows significant drops in brand recognition when audiences were asked to read too much.

In Out-of-Home, clarity beats complexity. For brands to be remembered, say one thing, say it well, and make it stick.

       3. Dull ads cost more and deliver less

Now for some tough love. Dull creative is your brand's biggest enemy: it kills visibility, memorability, and behaviour change.

System1’s emotional response measurement demonstrates that when it comes to Out-of-Home creative, feelings of neutrality are alarmingly high, meaning ads are classified as dull. And when audiences feel nothing, they do nothing.

Research out of the UK from System1, Peter Field and Adam Morgan illustrates that dull campaigns need to spend an additional £10m in media to achieve the same marketing impact as engaging campaigns.

Locally, the JCDecaux databank shows that dull Out-of-Home ads get 58 per cent less campaign recall versus those that evoke either positive or negative emotions.

       4. Make them feel good!

For brands needing to escape the dangerous realms of dull, be sure to strive for positive emotional responses. Negative emotions and neutrality show a negative correlation with metrics such as brand association, whereas positive emotions (surprise, happiness) demonstrate positive uplifts.

The numbers are compelling: campaigns that elicited strong feelings of happiness delivered a +167 per cent lift in positive brand associations, when compared to campaigns delivering neutral emotional reactions.

System1’s star rating predicts the long-term brand effects of a piece of creative based on the emotional reaction it elicits. While a striking number of the ads we tested were ranked one- or two-stars out of five (87 per cent!), what we learnt from the difference between those more emotionally engaging creatives is powerful: ads that achieve three and four-star ratings get DOUBLE the commercial effects.

These higher star creatives also drive more-than-double key message recall, sentiment, and unaided awareness, and a 50 per cent lift in action.

       5. Entertain more and do ‘the sell’ less

Where the data gets really interesting – and maybe a little nerdy – is where we uncover the correlation between star rating (read: emotional response and in turn, business effects) and type of content included in a creative.

‘Narrow beam’, or left brain, features – think call to action, prices, data, heavy product focus, an abundance of words – are naturally less inclined to drive emotion than ‘broader beam’, right brain, features. Characters, interaction, humour, references to culture and place drive more positive emotions and in turn, reap the benefits of a higher star-rating.

Successful campaigns use right brain features to create work that both entertains and resonates with audiences, creating lasting brand impressions that drive commercial outcomes.  

       6. Optimise for inclusivity – and reflect modern Australia

And last but certainly not least, I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to you that although large portions of our population come from CALD backgrounds, live with disability or identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, these groups remain widely unrepresented in both creative execution and planning processes.

Out-of-Home, as a public and highly visible medium has the power to shape cultural narratives. Brands that use it wisely – not just to sell, but to connect, represent and resonate – build stronger emotional bonds and long-term loyalty.

Research conducted by Shift 20 and The Research Agency shows that 63 per cent of people feel more positive about brands that feature people with disability, and 48 per cent are more likely to purchase from brands that include people with disability in their campaigns. 

Three practical considerations all advertisers should keep in mind for Out-of-Home design: strong colour contrast; clean backgrounds behind text and logos; and easy-to-read typeface. Might sound stupidly simple, but it’s mind-blowing how many advertisers still get them wrong!

These aren't just design choices – inclusive design can meaningfully impact campaign effectiveness, and play an important part in ensuring your message is easy to understand – by everyone.

The make or break

So there you have it. For the first time, we can understand exactly how creative fuels measured outcomes, from the impact of price-driven messaging versus brand building, to the effect of logo placement on consideration.

But what has emerged isn’t just another set of creative guidelines – it’s a science-based framework for driving business growth. And we are passionate about partnering with marketers, agencies, and creative teams to unlock the full potential of Out-of-Home advertising.

So, the question isn’t whether to improve Out-of-Home effectiveness - it’s how quickly we can unpack and implement these proven creative principles to drive better business outcomes. The difference between average and excellent isn’t marginal – it might just be transformative.

Click here to access our Complete Guide to Out-of-Home Creative Effectiveness. Or if you’d like us to pop by for a yarn about all things creative effectiveness for Out-of-Home, get in touch.