Outdoor Ads

CALM-THE LAST PHOTO

Description

This outdoor advertising campaign by Calm (Campaign Against Living Miserably) shows photographs of people shortly before they died by suicide. The visual impact is profound – seeing seemingly happy, normal individuals who were privately struggling creates immediate emotional resonance. The campaign uses these images to challenge perceptions about who might be at risk of suicide and demonstrates that people often mask their suffering. The primary emotional appeal is empathy, combined with the shock of realizing these ordinary moments were captured just before these individuals took their lives.

Objectives

The campaign’s primary objective is to raise awareness about suicide prevention by encouraging open conversations. It aims to break down the stigma and silence surrounding suicide by showing that anyone could be struggling, regardless of their outward appearance. The objectives are measurable through increased conversations about suicide, greater public awareness of warning signs, and potentially reduced suicide rates. This campaign seeks behavioral change (starting conversations) rather than just awareness.

Target Market

The target audience is exceptionally broad – essentially all adults. However, there’s likely a primary focus on:

• Family members and friends who might notice subtle changes in loved ones
• Community leaders, educators, and workplace managers who interact with many people
• Those who might be struggling themselves but haven’t sought help
• Anyone who might encounter someone in crisis

Desired Action & Benefit

The desired action is explicitly stated: “start one conversation about suicide.” The campaign provides specific contexts where these conversations might take place: “Over dinner. In schools. In offices. At the pub. In parliament.” It also offers tools to help people recognize warning signs and direct others to professional support.

The benefit is clear and powerful: “Together we can save more lives.” The campaign emphasizes that simple conversations can be life-saving, positioning this action as both accessible and profoundly important.

Value Proposition

The campaign’s value proposition centers on empowerment, giving ordinary people the ability to help prevent suicide through conversation. It addresses the statistic that “over half of us wouldn’t feel confident in helping someone who is at risk” by offering practical tools and guidance. The value isn’t just in raising awareness but in providing actionable steps: recognizing signs, starting conversations, and knowing how to connect people with professional support.

The proposition is particularly compelling because it transforms a seemingly overwhelming problem (suicide prevention) into manageable actions anyone can take (having conversations), while still acknowledging the seriousness of the issue.

http://www.thecalmzone.net/

So Many Dicks

Description

This outdoor advertising campaign by e.l.f. Beauty titled “So Many Dicks” used provocative wordplay to deliver a serious message about boardroom diversity. Strategically placed near Wall Street transportation hubs, the ads highlighted the startling statistic that more men named Richard, Rick, or Dick sat on corporate boards of NYSE and NASDAQ companies than women from minority groups combined. The headline “It’s ok to be a Dick. But America’s boardrooms need more of everyone else” used humor and double entendre to capture attention while delivering a pointed critique of corporate leadership similarity. The campaign, created in partnership with the Oberland agency, employed shock value combined with factual data to make its case, gaining the attention of finance professionals in one of the world’s major business centers.

Objectives

The campaign objectives were multi-layered: to highlight the lack of diversity in American corporate boardrooms, to position e.l.f. Beauty as a leader in corporate diversity, and to promote their “Change The Board Game” initiative. This campaign wanted to create conversation around boardroom diversity at a time when many companies were retreating from DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) commitments.

Target Market

The primary target audience was corporate decision-makers, specifically:

• C-suite executives and corporate board members
• Wall Street analysts, investors, and brokers (targeted through strategic placement)
• Corporate governance professionals
• Industry leaders with influence over board appointments

Secondary audiences included:

• Consumers concerned about corporate values and diversity
• Potential investors for e.l.f. Beauty
• Media outlets covering business and diversity issues

Desired Action & Benefit

The desired action was twofold: for corporate leaders to reconsider and diversify their board composition, and for consumers and investors to support companies like e.l.f. that demonstrate commitment to diversity.

The benefit for corporate America was clearly illustrated through e.l.f.’s own success story—the company’s stock had soared over 1500% in five years, positioning it as one of the fastest-growing companies on the NYSE. The campaign made an impactful case that diversity isn’t just a social good but a business advantage, suggesting other companies could experience similar success by following e.l.f.’s example.

Value Proposition

The campaign’s value proposition centered on the idea that diversity drives business growth and innovation. e.l.f. positioned itself as proof that diverse leadership correlates with exceptional business results. The campaign went beyond typical corporate social responsibility messaging by connecting diversity directly to market performance.

By highlighting their own board composition as one of only four publicly traded U.S. companies to achieve such diversity milestones, e.l.f. established themselves as pioneers in corporate governance, The value proposition was powerful because it challenged the common assumption that DEI initiatives and market performance might be at odds, instead suggesting they are complementary strategies for business success.

https://www.elfbeauty.com

WeRoad Holiday Ad

Description

This outdoor advertising campaign by U.K.-based tour operator WeRoad intelligently taps into holiday season stress through a series of humorous billboards. The ads feature relatable content like an overwhelming “Christmas Checklist” and a “Typical Christmas Day” scenario that captures chaotic family dinner dynamics. The campaign uses situational humor and shared experience to create an emotional connection with viewers. By acknowledging and exaggerating the stressful aspects of the holiday season, WeRoad establishes itself as understanding and empathetic to its audiences experiences, making the escape they’re selling more appealing.

Objectives

The campaign’s objectives appear to be driving post-holiday bookings by positioning travel as the perfect antidote to Christmas stress. Rather than focusing on the destinations themselves, WeRoad highlights the pain points of the holiday season, creating a problem-solution narrative where their travel experiences become the relief. The objectives are likely measurable through post-holiday booking increases and website traffic spikes following the campaign. The timing is strategic, planting the idea of a getaway during a period when people are most likely to be experiencing the very stress depicted.

Target Market

The target audience appears to be:

• Adults who participate in holiday hosting and feel the pressure of preparations
• Family members who find holiday gatherings stressful or overwhelming
• Working professionals who need a genuine break after the social demands of the season
• Individuals with disposable income for travel but who might need permission to prioritize self-care

The campaign likely targets a demographic that values experiences over material possessions and appreciates brands that speak truthfully about real-life experiences.

Desired Action & Benefit

The desired action is clear: book a post-Christmas trip with WeRoad. The campaign invites viewers to “swap post-Christmas chaos for a well-earned adventure.” The benefit is framed as emotional relief and self-care—an escape from the overwhelming demands of the holiday season. By positioning travel as “the best gift of all,” WeRoad suggests that people deserve to treat themselves after attending to everyone else’s needs during the holidays.

Value Proposition

WeRoad’s value proposition in this campaign is that they understand the real experiences of their customers and offer a meaningful solution. Rather than selling just destinations, they’re selling emotional relief, personal rewards, and a break from social obligations. The campaign differentiates WeRoad from competitors by acknowledging holiday stress instead of promoting idealized holiday imagery, creating an authentic connection with potential customers. This honesty likely resonates with people tired of picture-perfect holiday marketing, making WeRoad seem more trustworthy and in-tune with their audience’s actual needs.

The campaign effectively transforms the post-holiday period from a time of recovery into an opportunity for adventure, reframing what could be a sales slump into a peak booking period.

https://www.weroad.co.uk

DOVE’S 10 versus 10

https://broadsign.com/blog/our-favourite-ooh-and-billboard-ads/#:~:text=Dove%20called%20out%20harmful%20beauty,childhood%20should%20never%20be%20filtered.

I’ll analyze the Dove campaign mentioned in the Broadsign article, following the same structure as your previous analyses:

Description

Dove’s impactful outdoor campaign directly confronted harmful beauty stereotypes in social media filters with a striking visual approach. The billboard featured a grid of young girls’ faces being digitally altered by beauty filters, visually demonstrating how technology distorts natural appearances. Accompanying this powerful imagery was the tagline “The cost of beauty filters,” followed by the message “Childhood should never be filtered.” The emotional appeal centers on protection and authenticity, creating an immediate visceral response in viewers who recognize the harmful effects of beauty standards on young girls’ self-image.

Objectives

This campaign’s objectives align with Dove’s broader “Self-Esteem Project” and “Real Beauty” initiatives. The primary goals appear to be raising awareness about the damaging impact of beauty filters on young girls, positioning Dove as an advocate for authentic beauty standards, and potentially influencing social media platforms and parents to reconsider how digital alterations affect children’s self-perception. These objectives are measurable through public discourse, media coverage, and engagement with Dove’s self-esteem educational resources. The campaign targets a specific, timely issue with a clear, actionable message.

Target Market

The campaign targets multiple audiences simultaneously:

• Parents concerned about their children’s self-image and social media usage
• Young people (particularly girls) exposed to filtered images
• Policymakers and technology companies with influence over digital platforms
• General consumers who value brands taking ethical stances on social issues

By focusing on childhood specifically, Dove creates an issue that resonates broadly across demographic groups, as protecting children’s wellbeing is a widely shared value.

Desired Action & Benefit

The desired actions include both commercial and social dimensions. Dove wants consumers to support their brand for taking a stand on this issue, but also aims to prompt more significant social change: parents monitoring their children’s social media use, consumers questioning beauty standards, and potentially even tech companies reconsidering filter features. The benefit to the audience is contributing to a healthier environment for children to develop positive self-image. For parents specifically, the campaign offers a starting point for important conversations about digital media and beauty standards.

Value Proposition

Dove’s value proposition centers on being more than just a beauty brand—placing themselves as advocates for healthier beauty standards and children’s wellbeing. The campaign reinforces Dove’s long-standing commitment to “Real Beauty” while updating it for current digital concerns. The proposition is particularly powerful because it connects commercial interests (selling beauty products) with a contradictory social mission (challenging beauty standards), creating a distinctive brand identity in a crowded market. By focusing on children specifically, Dove taps into universal protective instincts, making their message difficult to dismiss regardless of one’s views on beauty standards for adults.

LIVE ON NY

Description

This public service outdoor campaign by LiveOnNY ingeniously reimagined the iconic “I Love NY” logo by removing the heart symbol entirely, replacing it with the clear message: “New York needs organ donors.” Displayed across New York City’s extensive transit network—including Metro-North Railroad, LIRR, and the subway system—for three months, the campaign used visual subtraction to make its point about organ donation.

Objectives

The campaign’s primary objective was to increase organ donor registrations in New York. By deploying across the city’s transit system, LiveOnNY aimed to reach millions of diverse New Yorkers daily, creating widespread awareness about organ donation needs. The objectives were measurable through tracking new donor registrations during and after the campaign period. The simple, direct message addressed the specific challenge of low donor registration rates in New York, with a clear goal of converting awareness into action through the emotional resonance of the modified iconic symbol.

Target Market

The target audience was broadly inclusive of adult New Yorkers who could register as organ donors, with particular emphasis on:

• Daily commuters using public transportation
• New York residents with strong local identity and city pride
• Adults across all demographics who might not have considered organ donation
• Both permanent residents and the city’s many visitors

By placing the campaign throughout the transit system, LiveOnNY effectively reached a cross-section of New York’s diverse population, spanning different ages, income levels, and neighborhoods.

Desired Action & Benefit

The desired action was explicitly stated: become an organ donor. The campaign aimed to drive New Yorkers to register through the state’s donor registry. The benefit was framed as civic contribution—helping the city “live on” by giving the gift of life to fellow New Yorkers. This positioning connected organ donation to local identity and pride, suggesting that becoming a donor was an extension of being a true New Yorker who cares about their community’s wellbeing.

Value Proposition

The campaign’s value proposition centered on simplicity and civic duty. By removing the heart from the iconic logo, LiveOnNY created a visual metaphor for the need for donors while simultaneously suggesting that loving New York means helping its people. The proposition was strengthened by its directness—no complex medical explanations or emotional manipulation, just a straightforward invitation to contribute to the city’s wellbeing. The campaign stood out by using subtraction rather than addition in its design, proving that sometimes absence can communicate more powerfully than presence. This approach likely resonated with New Yorkers accustomed to direct communication and strong city identity.

(https://broadsign.com/blog/our-favourite-ooh-and-billboard-ads/#:~:text=Dove%20called%20out%20harmful%20beauty,childhood%20should%20never%20be%20filtered.)