Aaron Poole, marketing executive, PML Group with this week’s Out \ Look on Out of Home.
Wallets at the ready – Black Friday weekend has landed!
While anticipation has been building ahead of the first domino falling in the Christmas shopping season, brands have been gearing up to capture consumer attention – and with good reason. This week AIB’s Spend Trend revealed that this Black Friday is set to be the busiest day for online spend in Ireland’s history, breaking last year’s record where consumers spent €4.3 million every hour, €73,000 every minute, or €1,200 every second.
In our recent iQ research, 84% marked their intention to shop sales across Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while 54% considered Outdoor advertising to be the most effective medium to inform them of upcoming offers.
Notably 59% marked their intention to shop in store. We recently highlighted how Retail Out of Home (R-OOH) is changing the way brands connect with shoppers, with the benefits of superior data-driven targeting leveraging the window of influence available to OOH advertisers in the trusted retail environment. Leveraging this around key occasions like Black Friday can help stand out and generate top-of-mind awareness at a time when consumers are deliberating on their purchasing decisions.
Here are some brands leveraging OOH for mental availability this Black Friday Weekend.
Vodafone
Vodafone’s Black Friday campaign is making a bold impact with exclusive offers including a free Google Pixel 9 when switching to Vodafone Bill Pay. Planned by Carat and PML, the campaign is placed across prominent OOH formats, including Bus T-Sides, Classic and Digital Roadside, Mall Digital, and Commuter Digital environments to drive awareness in high-traffic locations. Showcasing vibrant visuals on screens in retail and transport hubs such as shopping centres and roadside locations, the campaign ensures Vodafone’s key messaging is unmissable during the retail period.
EZ Living
EZ Living Furniture’s Black Friday campaign takes a location-focused approach to drive awareness of its exclusive offers and newly expanded stores. Planned by Adhaus Media and PML, the campaign features a mix of classic OOH formats, including Metro Squares, 6 Sheets, and 48 Sheets placed in high-visibility areas. Key locations such as Belgard Retail Park in Tallaght, M1 Retail Park in Drogheda, and Gulliver’s Retail Park in Dublin are highlighted for shoppers in their respective localities.
DID Electrical
DID Electrical has been thinking outside the box in recent weeks to promote the brand’s deals leading up to Black Friday. Planned by Javelin Dublin and Source out of home, the brand has been contextually targeting rugby fans en route to the ongoing Autumn Nations series pre & post game via Tenvito projections around the capital. Our IMPACT Attention research series noted unique OOH activations such as projections have proven to be exceptionally effective at capturing consumer attention at 85%.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media have been taking a different approach to the discount event in recent years with its ‘Red Friday’ promotion. Focusing on locations of retail outlets such as The Square, Stephen’s Green and Blanchardstown shopping centres, the campaign looks to drive footfall to physical stores with the lure of exclusive offers. Planned by OMD and Source out of home, with creative from Publicis, the campaign is live in on DOOH in retail environments close to Virgin Media storefronts including iVisions and dPod formats.
Currys
OOH’s role for electrical retailer Curry’s has been instrumental in their Black Friday strategy year on year. The brand’s “Black Tag Event” uses OOH as a crucial amplifier to provide clear cut- through by driving trust and credibility. Planned by Starcom and Source out of home, the campaign is running across high-impact formats including Exploding T-Sides, Digital Bridges, 48 Sheets, Metropoles, Bus Shelters and LUAS tram dominations.
Increased Seasonal Spend
Recent data from Kantar shows 36% intent to make a purchase on Black Friday marking a steady increase YoY since 2022. Moreover, 37% of adults claim to have made a purchase on the most recent Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend, a figure consistent with the year previous which was noted for being higher than both the UK and NI.
Our recent iQ research noted 41% plan to shop for both themselves and others, reflecting the dual-purpose nature of Black Friday as a time for personal deals and early Christmas shopping. 34% of respondents will shop solely for themselves, with this intent highest among the 25-34 age group at 45%.
With the weekend signalling the beginning of the holiday shopping season for many, it’s no surprise that the period is seen as an opportunity to start Christmas shopping. In fact, 47% of those who previously made Christmas purchases said they start their shopping in November leading into December (TGI), making the period from Black Friday to Christmas Eve a crucial time for brands to reach seasonal shoppers.
OOH remains the strongest performer when it comes to prompting consumer action during high-stakes retail moments. Our Key Occasions research found that OOH formats are consistently rated as highly effective across all age groups, with 70% of 45-54-year-olds rating billboards as effective and 61% of younger audiences (18-24) favouring bus stops.
In the coming weeks, brands will leverage OOH to capture the attention of these diverse shoppers, whether they are ticking off their holiday shopping lists or indulging in a seasonal purchase for themselves.
Consumers Continue to Keep an Open Mind When Out of Home
OOH advertising has long been recognised as a cornerstone of brand success, but like any medium, its full potential is unlocked through effective measurement. As we head into 2025, attention remains a critical currency in advertising. Kantar’s research highlights a 90% correlation between media channels that capture attention and those consumers prefer for advertising. Conversely, formats that disrupt attention are 97% negatively correlated with ad preference, underscoring the importance of non-intrusive, impactful campaigns.
The emotional states of consumers vary significantly throughout their daily activities. Moods have a profound impact on attentiveness, making it vital to understand a consumer’s frame of mind when they encounter your message. Identifying when audiences are most open to external stimuli allows brands to engage with them at the most impactful moments.
Our latest Moods on the Move research, conducted with Ipsos B&A, explores the emotions consumers experience during their day-to-day lives. In this first instalment of a multi-part series, we focus on moods during commutes, at work, and while in transit.
In a similar trend to last year all five activities/locations see ‘Open Minded’ ranked as one of the top three moods they generally feel, indicating that they are receptive to external stimuli.
Our IMPACT Attention research noted that, for 62% of respondents, OOH including billboards, posters, digital screens and buses had given them something of interest to look at while out and about, while 59% said they increased their favorability of the brand.
It is interesting to see how feelings evolve throughout the course of the day. On the morning commute, respondents once again tend to be more focused. This continues the trend from last year and aligns with findings from our OCS research, which showed that people are often thinking about personal finances during this time.
Lunchtime continues to see a more laidback demeanour, with Relaxed and Happy as dominant moods. These feelings often reappear on the evening commute, where thoughts shift toward family, entertainment, and evening plans.
A third of drivers report being Focused when behind the wheel, while nearly a fifth feel Relaxed. This lack of distraction and high attentiveness highlights the potential of roadside OOH formats. Our Media Impact study previously noted Billboards as being one of the top media for prompting spend among all surveyed consumers.
Those travelling by public transport feel even more at ease, with Relaxation as the leading mood. Interestingly, over a fifth describe feeling Bored. This “dead-time” presents a valuable opportunity for station and in-carriage advertising to engage this captive audience. Frequent public transport users in the capital amount to more than 50%, while advertising at DART stops/stations and inside buses index high at 203 points each (TGI).
These findings echo the previous Kantar Media Reactions study, which found that OOH and DOOH occupy two of the top five preferred media causing the least interruption to consumer lives. Furthermore, Classic and Digital OOH are ranked in the top three channels by consumers when it comes to capturing attention.
The research findings also align with the 2024 Media Reactions release, which highlighted consumers continue to favour in-person media channels. This preference is particularly evident in how Dubliners rate OOH formats as highly effective, reinforcing the idea that people prefer ‘sociable’ environments over the more intrusive nature of social media.
Richard Shotton highlights the importance of not just targeting an audience but also their mood. When consumers feel positive, they are more receptive to advertising. Positivity boosts attention, noticeability, and trust, making it crucial for brands to create joyful moments in both their media and creative strategies.
Next week, we’ll delve into the moods experienced across retail, travel, and leisure environments, providing even more actionable insights to help advertisers plan their campaigns effectively.
