Covid-19 has been a very dark time for a lot of people. I mean this literally, as in most of you have been stuck indoors and barely had the chance to go out and see some natural light. But also mentally very dark. With lots of people losing their loved ones that they couldn’t even say goodbye to in person, whilst having the fear that this uncontrollable, unknown virus has been silently spreading around and you don’t know who will be next to catch it. I myself got Corona just a few weeks ago so I am also speaking from personal experience, but I have now thankfully recovered just enough to find the energy to sit down and write this blog post. However, now as a second UK lockdown is emerging over the whole of the UK, and with many people across the world in similar situations, I wanted to take the time to share some positive advertising campaigns that I’ve read about recently which brightened up my day, and I certainly hope it will brighten up yours.
The first campaign that caught my eye was the JCDecaux campaign joint with Fred and Farid called #WeKeepGoing. This campaign was simply created to boost people’s spirits whilst addressing the emotional weight that many Americans were collectively feeling. It is a bright, positive and uplifting campaign that was displayed throughout Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Chicago, and there were over 150 different posters created which were custom to each city.
Below are the custom images that were placed in the OOH boards as part of this #WeKeepGoing campaign in the 4 cities.
For Los Angeles, the posters were inspired by the vibrant colours of the city such as pink, red, green and yellow.
A lot of the posters were also posted in Spanish which is a popular language spoken on the West Coast.
For Chicago, the posters were inspired by the palette and iconography of the city star and even chose a font which is iconic in Chicago: the Avant Garde Gothic.
For Boston, the colour green was utilised as it is thought of as the lucky colour and even included a handwritten element in orange accents which were inspired by a coach’s playbook.
The Fred and Farid founder and CCO stated that there was no big emotional statement, no hashtag or call to action. Just the simple fact: we keep going. Because that’s all we can do. JCDecaux noted that despite coming from all around the world, we have a shared sense of pride in our hometowns. We believe we will overcome the challenges and we will come out stronger than ever before. This campaign is a representation of positivity and resilience during a dark time. This campaign spread optimistic messages of keeping going through a dark time, and it brought a smile to my face when I read about it. One thing which I thought was amazing about this campaign was how easy it would have been to not do anything. Fred and Farid could have simply said they were going to stay silent by not advertising outdoors, which a lot of companies did do. However, they used these empty boards to pass on messages of strength and hope to those who had to leave the house and risk their life, due to being essential workers that kept the world running during this time.
Another amazing example of this type of action was in Times Square, which didn’t just leave it’s billboards blank and turned off but filled them with positive and uplifting messages. Times Square Arts, Poster House Museum and Print Magazine all collaborated together to produce handmade posters that were shown to the 30,000 people that walked through the square each day due to being an essential worker. Posters showcasing uplifting messages, such as promoting love in the time of Corona, as well as thanking healthcare workers and first responders, and reminding New Yorkers to wash their hands and stay indoors were displayed on the screens early in April once everyone had been told to stay indoors. These were spread to neighbouring New York boroughs as well to spread the light and positivity.
One digital campaign which touched me and millions of people around the world was by Nike. Their campaign was very simple, it was a white screen with black text saying ‘If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance. Play inside play for the world.’ The Nike logo is very small at the bottom under the text. This campaign really shows how this brand didn’t decide to advertise their own sports shoes or branded clothing which they are so well known for, but they spent their campaign budget on telling people to stay indoors with a message that their customers can resonate with. It is a simple but very powerful advert which is filled with an uplifting message that by staying indoors, you are really saving lives.
The final example, and one which I find hilarious even months after I first saw it, is the launch campaign for the wine-in-a-can brand Hun. This brand had planned to launch their new organic, fairtrade and vegan wine in a can at festivals this summer, but those plans were swiftly overturned. Instead of just switching to online advertising, they actually launched a tongue-in-cheek outdoor campaign in the middle of lockdown thanks to their agency TBWA\London. Billboards were filled with hilarious phrases such as ‘Our advertising agency put our poster out here. They’re not our agency anymore’, ‘Did you see our new advertising campaign? No, don’t think so’ and ‘We were going to have our launch party here but no one could make it’.
They successfully managed to draw light on the situation, that no one was really on the streets due to being in lockdown, and to also make those who walked past smile. It also took for one photo to be posted on social media for the word to spread, so this is not only thoughtful advertising but also very clever despite being affected by the pandemic as well. It is memorable and entertaining, and certainly brought me some light into my day and I’m sure it does for you as well.
Last but not least, one of our latest DOOH campaign, labeled Ad For Good® and using our Boon.Today technology, launched this summer during the pandemic in Paris with our partner MediaTransports.
The brand Intermarché, a famous large retailer in France, supported the NGO Secours Populaires who’s fighting poverty and exclusion.
Every DOOH impression of this national campaign has been converted into a micro-donations for the mentioned NGO above and raised tens of thousands euros of donation for the charity.
These campaigns are not only very sympathetic with the current situation that everyone is going through but are examples of how it is possible to make use of outdoor spaces and online audiences during a pandemic. After all, your customers may not be willing to go out and buy a new pair of trainers so advertising this does seem like a waste of time and resources. But it is very important not to stay silent and to do something. Brands have a lot of power and huge audiences, so by addressing their audiences with relevant and positive messages this will help strengthen and uplift society in a way like no other.
Furthermore, as you can see from the infographic above, from a recent poll from the Morning Consult, they established that the majority of people nowadays would rather see a company advertise how their products and services can combat the spread of coronavirus, whilst ensuring that brands stand for something beyond profit. Fred and Farid didn’t put their name anywhere on the advert, but this only strengthens their image as it shows they did not create the advert for profit but purely to help boost people’s mentalities and address current issues of frustration and not giving up. Companies that are sitting back and staying silent shows insensitivity, lack of concern and flexibility. Brands must reassess their brand image by ensuring that all forms of communication online and in-person acknowledge what is happening and that you understand how your customers are feeling. The most effective ads nowadays are ones that show empathy, emphasis on safety and transparency towards the customers.
After all, we are all in this together, so make sure everyone knows that! I know I was very happy to see these advertising campaigns that took place, and I hope it made you smile as well. It’s the little things in life right now that will keep us all going, and these campaigns reminded me that everyone is in the same boat and no one is alone.