This year, the Best Creative award at the JCDecaux Programmatic DOOH Live Awards will be decided using a combination of JCDecaux’s VIM platform and System1’s out of home testing solution. To shine a light on the creative opportunities in pDOOH NDA spoke to Andrew Tindall, SVP Global Partnerships at System1.
How would you describe the current state of the market when it comes to creative testing in pDOOH?
With out-of-home (OOH) now surpassing commercial TV in weekly reach, the opportunity for brands to drive mass behavior change has never been greater. Yet, when it comes to creativity, particularly in programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH), it feels like we’re only scratching the surface. One of the key strengths of OOH – in all its guises – is the ability to change consumer behaviour at scale. However, marketers rarely think to test their ads on real consumers leading to missed opportunities.
In System1 and JCDecaux’s research we’ve seen half of OOH exposures don’t lead to brand recognition. With programmatic capabilities marketers can increase relevance and add a layer of personalisation to OOH creative. The channel is a huge opportunity for brands – when used as a main player in the marketing mix with brilliant creative you can really change consumer behaviour.
What do you see as the primary creative benefits of programmatic activation in OOH?
With pDOOH, we’ve seen the obvious happen. Targeting based on location with offer-based messaging. Marketers that use programmatic to unlock creative ideas that put on a show and leave a lasting emotional impression will see the real gains. Few are doing this yet.
How will clients and agencies advance their creative strategies over the next 2-3 years?
Looking ahead, I’m hopeful. The next two to three years could usher in a golden age for pDOOH—one where brands embrace powerful, long-term creative ideas based on real consumer insight, shared in broadly entertaining ways. pDOOH is poised to help brands not just to land a tactical message but to captivate audiences emotionally.
The brands that win in this space will be the ones that understand pDOOH isn’t just another targeting tool—it’s a creative canvas. The best campaigns will:
Put creativity first. Great posters should work as a single powerful unit, rather than a collection of tactical parts delivering fragmented messages. A great poster should show off the strength of the campaign idea.
Command attention in service of the creative idea. We should focus on joy not cheap tricks to shock and grab attention. The thing that grabs attention must also be the idea!
Put emotions before pure messaging: While delivering the right message at the right time matters, the emotional connection is what drives long-term growth.
Be distinctive. The most effective pDOOH campaigns will have creative that is unmistakably theirs, instantly linked to the brand in the consumer’s mind in a few secons.
What will you be looking out for in the creative award categories at this year’s pDOOH Live Awards?
I’ll be looking for big ideas, with execution that leaves a lasting impression. Posters that are conceived as a whole, not simple various parts delivering messages. And an acknowledgement of how pDOOH is consumed (in a few seconds). What attracts attention must also be the idea, and distinctly ownable by the brand.
The brands that get this right will win more than awards—they’ll capture attention, captivate hearts, and ultimately, grow.
To find out more about the JCDecaux pDOOH Live Awards 2025 – now open for entries – click here.
This article originally appeared on New Digital Age.