Mr. Pratap Bose from O&M 10 considerations that should go into the making of outdoor creatives.
• The messages should be brief consisting of 3-5 words.
• The message should legible. Capitals are used for display headings. Lower case a suitable for longer head-lines and sentences. Ornate lettering may reduce legibility. The minimum type height on a normal 20’x10’ hoarding should be upwards 30 cms.
• Colors are used to contrast each other. Complementary colors, like red and green, are not readily visible.
• Build a uniquely recognizable format or layout and repeat it often enough. It requires briefest eye contact to identify the brand.
• The brand name works harder if it precedes the slogan.
• Use graphics to organize the text.
• The key word or phrase can be highlighted in a color box.
• Faces used should not overwhelm the brand name. The pictures that are most effective are pictures of ordinary people.
• Teaser campaigns can be effective in outdoor, although they account for a small proportion of outdoor campaigns.
• The disruption of expectation: The consumer today enjoys a challenge and has the ability to deal with the abstract. The more innovative, the intriguing and the more humorous the creative execution of an outdoor ad is, the less media weight it needs. Conversely, the more mundane the creative the more media weight it requires.
Labels: Commandments, Creative, Mr. Pratap Bose, OandM, ordinary, Outdoors, people
Outdoors do require a proper evaluation system for providing site comparisons. The OSCAR (Outdoor Site Classification and Audience Research) study by MODE, Aaren and O&M in Bombay was a step in this direction. The study was carried out to evaluate hoarding sites in the City of Mumbai and develop as weight age index based on such criteria as visibility, height and illumination, angle, competition, deflection and obstruction. The aim was to indicate a gross OTS (opportunity-to-see) for each hoarding. The other criteria that should be included in the evaluation process are the number of pedestrians and vehicles passing by, the special characteristics of the site, nearness to other nearby messages that might interfere, the ambiance that can negatively affect the brand image and availability of effective night time illumination. Evaluation for moving media should consider the traffic and population of individual routes and an analysis of the life-styles of the people along the route.
Labels: comparisons, Evaluation, Evaluation of Outdoors, Mumbai, OSCAR, Outdoors, providing
OutdoorsVantage Advertising (P) Ltd. is a Madras-based organization having contact points in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It specialized in ‘great outdoors. Its own ad copy reads “Outdoors are funny things. We haggle with the landlords, squabble with corporations, triangle with the environmentalists, and wrangle our way through. We take our site plans to the client. He mums and haws. He chews on it. He insists on a price-reduction. Before long, the stie is taken by another client. Sensation. ‘What a great site?’ Recrimination. ‘Why didn’t you offer it to me first?’ And the first client we went to says, “I’ll double the rental.”
Strange Thing, Outdoor“Outdoor is a strange thing. We provide employment directly and indirectly to lacs to people in the country. Painters, structural workers, space sellers, neon sign makers, a myriad of ancillary helpers earn their livelihood through outdoor. We work under the blazing sun and bitterly cold winds. Not to speak of braving squalls thunder storms. We perch precariously on multi-storeyied precipices and we traverse lonely highways. That’s our business. Goes with the territory. Surprisingly few people actually know about our business.
Peculiar Thing, OutdoorOutdoor is a peculiar thing. We’ve helped build some of the world’s famous brands. From Times Square and Piccadilly to Chowpatty and Chowranghee. The names are nightly increasing brand value. More often than not, outdoor is treated as a support medium. Yet some brands have used outdoor as their primary medium. We can do a lot more, and make that advertising bucks go a long way. Oh, ye planners of little faith come and see the light. Sign up, Bangalore emphasize the supportive function of outdoors to TV. Their headlines are ‘If you want people to remember your TV spots, try outdoors.
Labels: advertising, brands, Chowpatty and Chowranghee, famous, headlines, organization, Outdoor Media, Times, Vantage Advertising (P) Ltd.
