FOOH: All There Is to Know in 2024 (+ Examples)
Last update: 17 June 2024 at 06:22 am
5.00/5In today’s competitive environment, it’s essential for marketing professionals to stay on top of advertising trends in order to meet market expectations and create effective advertising campaigns. Recently, a new phenomenon widely adopted by major brands has been making headlines: FOOH (fake out of home). It’s a true revolution in the marketing world, combining creativity and technological innovation to captivate and engage audiences.
In this article, you will learn everything you need about FOOH and how to use it strategically in your next advertising strategy. If you’d like to be guided by a professional, contact one of the advertising agencies you can easily find on Sortlist.
What is FOOH (Fake Out Of Home)?
FOOH or Fake Out of Home is an innovative concept that creates the illusion of an outdoor advertising campaign that doesn’t physically exist in the real world. It’s also known as virtual outdoor advertising because it’s commonly used in street marketing.
Essentially, the practice combines cutting edge technologies such as computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology with augmented reality (AR) to create fictional scenarios in public spaces. In its simplest form, FOOH involves a brand creating a digital representation of a spectacular billboard in a popular location. This video is then shared on social media to generate buzz and go viral. It will raise doubts among Internet users and provoke strong reactions.
FOOH has emerged as a response to changes in our consumption patterns, both in terms of content and media. The public increasingly prefers online platforms, ephemeral content is becoming a trend, and attention is more than ever at the center of all interests. What’s more, with the advent of AR, AI, 3D and special effects, it seems essential for brands to make the most of these new technologies.
In light of these factors, FOOH is changing the advertising landscape by proposing approaches that guarantee authentic experiences. On the brand side, it generates high engagement and extensive media coverage, often at a lower cost than traditional advertising placements.
Examples of FOOH Campaigns
Here are some examples of brands that have launched successful FOOH campaigns.
L’Oréal
To promote its Infaillible Matte Resistance liquid lipstick, L’Oréal Paris came up with a marketing stunt last September. Created by renowned art director Ian Padgham, the FOOH featured a giant lipstick on the roof of a 2CV racing through the streets of Paris, leaving a bright red trail on the asphalt. Produced entirely in computer-generated imagery, the video garnered over three million views in less than two days, demonstrating its undeniable viral power.
Maybelline
In July 2023, London experienced an invasion of giant lashes. A subway train and a city bus were outfitted with the unusual accessories before being made up with the brand’s “Sky High” mascara. This daring advertising campaign caused quite a stir on social networks, with many hoping to see it in real life. In reality, it was a digital creation, an illusion created by the agency Ogilvy and Ian Padgham. Either way, the marketing strategy left a lasting impression, proving once again the power of digital marketing.
Barbie
Mattel used FOOH effectively to promote its Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. In its hyper-realistic video, the global toy maker set up a giant Barbie box at the foot of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. She then got out and wandered the streets of the city. Eye Studio, the agency behind the design, brought the iconic doll to life for all to enjoy.
Samsung
In November 2023, Samsung took to the streets of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to showcase its product through a captivating FOOH campaign. The viral video shows a van equipped with the powerful Bespoke Jet AI vacuum cleaner at the back, effortlessly sucking up everything in its path. This innovative concept, the result of a collaboration between Samsung, TBWA\Belgium and Mojuice, has created a huge buzz and the video has now been viewed over 17.7 million times.
Porsche
To celebrate the launch of its brand new electric model, the Macan Electric, Porsche presented its flying car by creating the illusion of reality in its video. Thanks to the agency PHD Media, this revolutionary car flew over Spain, hovering above such iconic landmarks as the Plaza de España in Seville, the Alhambra in Granada, the Cibeles Palace in Madrid, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Jacquemus
As part of the promotion of its new item, Jacquemus has launched its FOOH video featuring XXL bags transformed into taxis driving through the streets of Paris. The ad, which has gone viral on Instagram, features the brand’s Bambinos bags, which were released in April 2023. Directed in 3D by Ian Padgham, this virtual street marketing campaign blurred the lines between reality and illusion, leaving Internet users stunned and in awe.
The North Face
In a November TikTok video, JD Sports imagined transforming the famous Big Ben into a The North Face mannequin, dressed in a giant yellow down jacket. Specifically, the brand’s retro 1996 Nuptse jacket. This CGI design caused quite a stir, even to the point where some spectators criticized such an installation. The exclamations of the crowd in the FOOH actually sounded very real in the ad.
PlayStation
One of the most striking FOOH ads of 2023 is this one from PlayStation. In this shot, which was posted on Instagram, the Montparnasse Tower took on the appearance of a giant console. Naturally, video game enthusiasts marveled at this activation, especially during the festive season. Two live-action shoots were needed to create this content. Today, it has more than 9,000 likes on Instagram.
Philharmonie
In November 2023, the Philharmonie pioneered the FOOH trend in Luxembourg by showcasing its “Music Boxes”, in collaboration with Studio Polenta and FOREAL. The action took place in Kirchberg, Luxembourg’s business district. The video featured imposing gift boxes cascading like dominoes onto the forecourt of the Philharmonie. The scene was made all the more realistic by the deafening noise accompanying the movements.
Apple Store
When the new iPhone 15 was released at the end of 2023, Apple created a surprise by transforming its flagship store on New York’s 5th Avenue into a pink bubble gum machine. The color choice was meant to showcase the brand’s latest smartphone model in pink. In a video posted on various social media platforms, giant bubble gum balls can be seen overflowing the store and roaming the streets of the city. The campaign, created in partnership with TBWA\Media Arts Lab and Ian Padgham, drew attention to the new iPhone range in an unexpected way.
Why is FOOH critical to your advertising strategy?
High visibility and impact
FOOH is an advertising trend that offers unrivaled visibility. It allows brands to use creative content and reach a wide audience in strategic locations. Posters, traditional billboards, and other FOOH media are placed in high-traffic areas such as city centers, public transportation, and highways. This ensures maximum exposure to potential customers. Finally, the imposing size of FOOH formats attracts attention and creates a memorable visual impact, even with a limited advertising budget.
Precise targeting and flexibility
Unlike other forms of advertising such as OOH (Out Of Home) and DOOH (Digital Out Of Home), Fake Out Of Home favors precise geographic targeting. Marketing and advertising professionals can easily reach specific audiences based on their location, interests, and consumption habits. Thanks to these various factors, messages reach the people most likely to be interested in products/services.
What’s more, FOOH ads can be quickly designed, delivered and modified according to campaign needs or audience feedback. They don’t require a lot of time or resources (production costs, site rental, building permits, etc.). This provides flexibility to adjust advertising strategies to maximize impact and results.
Strengthening brand awareness
FOOH is an innovative approach with viral potential on social networks. Indeed, the resulting creation is highly engaging, as it establishes an emotional bond with the audience. And when users are captivated, the video is more likely to create a buzz.
At the same time, this phenomenon boosts brand awareness and helps establish a credible brand image. The constant visibility of digital advertising, which blends illusion and reality, helps to imprint itself on consumers’ minds. What’s more, FOOH gives brands an aura of legitimacy and success, associating them with prestigious locations and significant investment.
Creative experimentation and innovation
FOOH favors a short format, which is why it is so popular with users on social networks. While taking this type of format into account, advertisers have the opportunity to explore innovative creative concepts that might be difficult to realize in the physical world.
By exploiting digital technologies, they can provide immersive experiences that transcend the limitations of traditional outdoor displays. For example, one brand offers an AR experience where passers-by can interact with virtual products directly from their smartphones by scanning a QR code on a billboard.
Brands can also create personalized experiences that engage consumers by integrating interactive elements into FOOH installations. Either way, Fake Out Of Home offers a playground for creativity and experimentation with new ideas. To help you, you can call on the services of a professional such as a 3D design agency.
An effective complement to omnichannel marketing strategies
FOOH is a powerful and versatile tool for marketing and advertising professionals. Its ability to integrate seamlessly with omnichannel marketing strategies makes it an excellent digital marketing lever. In fact, it can work in synergy with other advertising channels to create a coherent, impactful customer experience. In other words, FOOH can build a seamless customer journey and optimize conversions.
Generally speaking, FOOH messages are used to drive traffic to:
- Websites
- Social networks
- Physical points of sale.
- Cost-effectiveness and scalability
These aspects make FOOH an attractive choice for brands looking to maximize their return on investment (ROI) and tailor their campaigns to their specific needs.
On the one hand, it offers a cost per impression that is often lower than other forms of advertising. Added to this is effective reach, as FOOH reaches a wide and diverse audience, including people who don’t actively use the Internet or social media. On the other hand, FOOH offers a wide range of formats, from traditional posters to digital billboards. Brands can therefore choose the format best suited to their target audience and message.
What’s more, FOOH campaigns can be run over variable durations, from a few days to several months.
Setting up a successful FOOH campaign
Identifying the target audience
For a FOOH campaign to be successful, it’s essential to fully understand the target audience, in particular their behaviors, interests and preferences. This first step is crucial to choosing relevant locations and creating messages that resonate with them.
Define clear, measurable objectives
A FOOH approach necessarily involves identifying specific objectives. What results do you expect from your campaign? Is it to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website or boost sales? In any case, clear objectives will guide brands in directing their strategy and evaluating the performance of their campaigns.
Choosing the right location
A Fake Out Of Home video must be able to impress viewers, captivating them from the very first seconds by offering an immersive visual experience. But this experience can’t be complete without the elements of surprise, including the location of the action. This means not simply mixing illusion and reality.
The brand really needs to find strategic locations, taking into account population density, consumer habits and visibility. These locations must correspond to the brand image it wishes to convey.
Creating an impactful message
The FOOH message must be clear, concise and impactful. It needs to capture attention of Internet users and convey the purpose of the video in a matter of seconds. The use of strong visuals, short text and a clear call to action here can help a lot. And to see what works best with the audience, it’s advisable to test different messages and formats.
On the other hand, the experience of the users can be enriched by integrating digital technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, interactive screens, special effects, etc.
Integrate into marketing strategy
FOOH should not be seen as an isolated campaign. In fact, it’s a good idea to include it in an omnichannel marketing strategy, in order to provide customers with a consistent experience. It can be combined with:
- Social media
- Public relations
- Online advertising
- etc.
To direct potential customers, consider using QR codes, hashtags and short links on FOOH media. This will also make it easier to create buzz before, during and after the launch of the advertising campaign.
Measure and analyze results
As with any marketing and communications strategy, monitoring the performance of a FOOH campaign is essential. Using key performance indicators such as reach, engagement rate and conversion rate, brands can assess its effectiveness and make improvements for future campaigns.
They can also use tracking and analytics tools to measure video impressions, clicks and conversions. Data analysis will be used to see what’s working and what’s not, and modify strategy accordingly.
FOOH Challenges and Opportunities
Criticisms and Risks of FOOH
The fake out-of-home trend is not without its critics and risks, which should be considered before launching a campaign.
First and foremost, it’s a question of ethics and reality. Indeed, the use of hyper-realistic imagery and special effects in FOOH ads can confuse reality with fiction. This often raises concerns about the veracity of advertising and its impact on consumers’ perception of reality, especially among children.
Lack of transparency is also an issue, as FOOH can mislead audiences and consequently damage a brand’s reputation. In some cases, the messages or images contained in the videos may be inappropriate, leading to negative reactions from the public.
In addition, advertising regulations may limit or prohibit the use of FOOH in certain locations. It becomes intrusive when it invades the public space in an unsolicited manner. This can complicate campaign planning and execution.
Finally, brands that decide to use copyrighted content in FOOH ads without permission can face legal problems and financial penalties.
The future of FOOH advertising
The outlook for FOOH remains bright as technology continues to evolve and consumers become more receptive to immersive narratives.
For example, AI and machine learning could be used to further personalize FOOH advertising to the audience in real time. By delivering relevant messages tailored to their interests and behaviors.
With the continued development of augmented reality, which overlays digital elements onto the real world, brands would also have the opportunity to deliver hyper-interactive unforgettable experiences. They could use this technology to bring products to life, tell compelling stories and encourage consumers to interact with advertising in innovative ways.
Convergence with retail is another point to consider. FOOH can be integrated with retail experiences. Customers interact with products virtually before they buy them, giving them a better shopping experience.
However, the future of this trend will depend in part on how regulations and standards evolve to frame this practice and ensure it remains ethical, transparent and respectful of consumer privacy.
Conclusion
FOOH advertising offers your brand a unique opportunity to create high-impact advertising content, using digital technologies and creative concepts to engage audiences. While this practice offers benefits in terms of visibility, engagement and flexibility, it also presents significant risks and challenges.
However, by applying the knowledge gained from reading this article, you can launch effective FOOH campaigns. So don’t hesitate to explore this approach in depth, balancing creativity with transparency and ethics to continue pushing the boundaries of FOOH advertising and capturing the public’s imagination.
