FOCUS - OUTDOOR ADVERTISING: Ads for outdoor media require special
creative skills
<p>Outdoor ads should be simple yet compelling, advised Mr Steve
</p><p>Elrick, creative director of Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Speaking at the Asian Outdoor Advertising Seminar 2000 in Singapore
</p><p>recently, Mr Elrick said that outdoor in Asia is underated but likely to
</p><p>grow as an advertising medium, given what some markets are already
</p><p>doing.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>"It costs a lot of money to make TV ads, (so) I'm surprised people
</p><p>aren't using outdoor advertising more," he said. "Marketers often tend
</p><p>to think, 'If we don't have a TV ad, we're not producing a proper
</p><p>campaign'."
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Mr Elrick warned that outdoor ads, unlike TV ads, cannot be 'covered' by
</p><p>fantastic cinematography or other effects. "If an idea is weak, it will
</p><p>be obvious to everyone how unimpressive the idea is." But if done right,
</p><p>they can go a long way in reaching the audience, he suggested.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>The rule of thumb for a successful outdoor ad is; keep it simple.
</p><p>Present a very compelling thought that people cannot ignore. And always
</p><p>leave something for the audience to work at instead of giving the answer
</p><p>straight out, because "there's a much better chance of people
</p><p>remembering your ad if they have to work at it a bit", said Mr Elrick,
</p><p>adding that "outdoor space is the space inside someone's head that
</p><p>you're trying to get to."
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>In Asia, where outdoor is treated as a support medium and media owners
</p><p>are, to some extent, under-selling the medium, outdoor has yet to reach
</p><p>its best.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>"There are a lot more options to make outdoor more interesting and it
</p><p>can be exponentially better," said Mr Elrick.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>He pointed out, however, that the markets are seeing more creative use
</p><p>of outdoor lately, and cited as an example Singapore's Comfort taxi tops
</p><p>where a potentially boring space has been creatively turned into a very
</p><p>interesting and effective advertising space.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>While he maintains that the use of outdoor is still conservative in
</p><p>Asia, on the whole Mr Elrick said he is "upbeat about outdoor" and
</p><p>believes it will one day become the most important mass communication
</p><p>broadcast medium.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p>
by
|
11/10/2000
Outdoor ads should be simple yet compelling, advised Mr Steve
Elrick, creative director of Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
Speaking at the Asian Outdoor Advertising Seminar 2000 in Singapore
recently, Mr Elrick said that outdoor in Asia is underated but likely to
grow as an advertising medium, given what some markets are already
doing.
"It costs a lot of money to make TV ads, (so) I'm surprised people
aren't using outdoor advertising more," he said. "Marketers often tend
to think, 'If we don't have a TV ad, we're not producing a proper
campaign'."
Mr Elrick warned that outdoor ads, unlike TV ads, cannot be 'covered' by
fantastic cinematography or other effects. "If an idea is weak, it will
be obvious to everyone how unimpressive the idea is." But if done right,
they can go a long way in reaching the audience, he suggested.
The rule of thumb for a successful outdoor ad is; keep it simple.
Present a very compelling thought that people cannot ignore. And always
leave something for the audience to work at instead of giving the answer
straight out, because "there's a much better chance of people
remembering your ad if they have to work at it a bit", said Mr Elrick,
adding that "outdoor space is the space inside someone's head that
you're trying to get to."
In Asia, where outdoor is treated as a support medium and media owners
are, to some extent, under-selling the medium, outdoor has yet to reach
its best.
"There are a lot more options to make outdoor more interesting and it
can be exponentially better," said Mr Elrick.
He pointed out, however, that the markets are seeing more creative use
of outdoor lately, and cited as an example Singapore's Comfort taxi tops
where a potentially boring space has been creatively turned into a very
interesting and effective advertising space.
While he maintains that the use of outdoor is still conservative in
Asia, on the whole Mr Elrick said he is "upbeat about outdoor" and
believes it will one day become the most important mass communication
broadcast medium.
