The line between OOH campaigns and IRL activations has become extremely blurred. Billboards and wild postings have become their own kind of landmarks that consumers actively seek out, using the creative as backdrops for photoshoots, and sharing these photos on social media.
There are many reasons why this is the case. Let’s start with the most obvious: the creative is attention-grabbing. A prime example of this is SSENSE’s recent OOH campaign known for its simplistic visuals and witty copy:
The campaign was covered everywhere, from fashion news outlets to countless social media accounts, and for good reason. It was funny, and in some cases, relatable, to the extent that people wanted to share it with their friends.
Another reason has to do with the talent featured. A couple months ago, we published “Tapping Into the Hyper-Local,” an article focused on the rise of hyper-local wild postings featuring regional talent and creators:
We showcased examples like Still Here and Jolie’s campaigns, which featured Gutes, Laura Reilly, and other notable faces. Much like before, these two campaigns were widely shared, not only by the followers of these brands but also by the fans of these individuals. People enjoy seeing their favorite personalities showcased in such ways, and taking photos became a symbol of support. We're not psychologists, but it seems akin to the behavior that drives us to view and share paparazzi photos — we live for glimpses of our favorite celebrities (and creators) out and about in locations that are so personal to us.
Arguably the most compelling reason is the brand's buzz factor, defined by their devoted cult-like following of consumers. For these individuals, seeing their favorite brand’s billboard in a popular neighborhood near them doesn’t feel like encountering a brand at all; rather, it feels like encountering a friend, and you feel like you're part of a significant moment in their journey. Such is the case with Olipop, a brand whose buzzworthy OOH efforts consistently spark excitement within their community.
In case you missed it, last month they invested in a Big Bus takeover and secured large OOH placements in the Miami area. They invited their team and friends of the brand to celebrate the campaign by riding the bus and posing in front of the billboards:
Hosting IRL events to celebrate OOH campaigns is their secret sauce, and they recently did it again this past weekend. As part of their OOH campaign in DC, they organized an activation at Nationals Park, featuring a custom booth stocked with plenty of exclusive merch. The icing on the cake? They invited influencers to join in on the excitement:
They're not just crossing their fingers and hoping their fans will stumble upon the billboards — they're making their presence known and leveraging influencers to kickstart the buzz. It's incredibly smart. So smart that we needed to know all about it.
We reached out to Steven Vigilante, Head of Growth at Olipop, for the details. Why DC? Why activate at Nationals Park? And what’s next for Olipop? Here’s everything he shared:
PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS: We would love to know more about your current OOH campaign! What are your goals and why these specific cities?
Steven Vigilante: Last year, we mapped out how OLIPOP performs vs. 'Legacy soda' consumption by metro in the U.S. We wanted to invest in markets where we have strong ACV / distribution, but where we also underindex vs. total soda consumption. We also looked at markets that have strong OOH inventory that isn't quite as expensive as a city like New York. The goal of these campaigns is to make a lot of noise in a 4-week window, paired with retailer promotions and community events, to drive awareness and ultimately conversions in retail.
PBT: Why focus on the DC market in particular? Are there any other markets you have your eyes on?
SV: DC / the broader DMV is a flourishing, diverse market with high disposable income and tons of interest in health-and-wellness. Arlington (a swanky neighborhood just outside DC) was actually named the fittest city in America based on the ACSM Fitness Index in 2023. We have great retail partners here, including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Target, Walmart, and Wawa, and wanted to show them some love here locally. Also most OOH inventory in DC is gobbled up by politicians / government spending, so we figured some fun creative beverage billboards would really stand out (as opposed to a city like NYC where most OOH is consumer / fashion brands).
We'll activate in 3-4 more markets this year but can't disclose which markets those are yet!
PBT: We’d love to know more about your activation at Nationals Park. How did this idea come to fruition?
SV: We try to do a hyperlocal event in each market and for D.C., we landed on a Nationals game. D.C. fans love their sports teams and we liked the creative tie-in with baseball / hotdogs etc for OLIPOP. We also have a handful of billboards in the Navy Yard, right across from the Stadium, so we were able to create a bunch of content in front of those boards before the game.
PBT: The line between OOH campaigns and activations is becoming increasingly blurred, with consumers actively taking photos in front of billboards and wild postings. Have you noticed this with Olipop's community?
SV: Yes, this is definitely a key component to making these campaigns successful. It's also why we try to have A LOT of placements in a city at a time, instead of just a few. It creates the surround sound we are looking for and really makes them hard to miss. In Miami, we had a professional baseball player create an IG Reel in front of one of our billboards in Brickell, which came out pretty cool:
We have some more fun ideas in the pipeline for 'in front of billboard' content in the future.
Want to submit a pitch? Email (or DM) us: peoplebrandsandthings@gmail.com.