Out of home is all about environment. Giving brands the right surroundings in which to shine. In this, and many other respects, Ocean Scotland is streets ahead. MD Marc Keenan has 17 reasons why Scotland is the No. 1 choice for advertisers with big things to say.

It all Ads up

#1 Out of home is one of Scotland’s most consumed media channels. It reaches 75% compared to TV (44%) and radio (36%).

#2 Ocean has a monthly reach of more than three million people. We cover 53% of Scotland’s population every two weeks. This includes 59% of ABC1s, 65% of ABC1s aged 18 to 35; and 58% of 16 to 35s.

#3 We are the country’s No. 1 provider of large format roadside, including the mighty Edinburgh Media Wall, which is the nation’s largest full motion screen. Roadside reaches 62.4% of working adults who commute by car.

#4 Ocean covers the most premium and high spending locations outside of London, including Edinburgh (73% cover), Glasgow (65% cover), Dundee and Aberdeen. 

#5 Our two new full motion screens at St James Quarter Edinburgh launched this summer, joining our Loop network. The retail, residential, leisure and lifestyle centre has an annual footfall of more than 18.9m, with a 6.2% year on year uplift (September 2024 vs 2023). Black Friday footfall typically grows by 40%+ compared to the previous month.

#6 Outperforming other parts of the UK, Scotland continues to be an international destination of choice, with nearly two million overseas visitors in the first half of 2024, a 14% year on year uplift, injecting almost £1.5 billion into our economy (source: Visit Scotland).

#7 And with Glasgow set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026, DOOH will once again be front and centre, giving brands a huge opportunity to help define a more sustainable approach to the sports event by reducing the environmental impact while enhancing the social impact.

Scotland’s wild

#8 OOH is the most sustainable advertising medium. Modern day out of home is a far cry from the one I joined 40 or so years ago, with the sector pivoting away from legacy paper and paste billboards, non-soluble printed inks, PVC vinyl skins and fluorescent lighting.

#9 Today, our locations are handpicked, almost entirely digital, and use low energy LEDs. We consume 85% less energy than we did previously. As a whole, outdoor advertising accounts for just 0.067% of UK power consumption.

#10 Initiatives like Drops in the Ocean mean that 2% of our annual reported revenue is donated in the form of advertising space to environmental organisations. So far, we’ve supported 24 non-profit causes, and 2025 applications are opening shortly. Hopefully, we can attract some Scottish charities to apply for media support.

#11 In addition, seven of our landscaped roadside and city locations have been given over to our Rewilding Programme. That’s not an excuse for us not to cut the grass. Working with the Wildlife Trust, we are planting trees and growing wild meadows, which encourage birds, bees and insects to thrive in urban jungles.

#12 Our screen at North Hanover Street in Glasgow is one example, making OOH a natural choice for advertisers like Scottish Power with its “green sky thinking” campaign, which offered customer discounts on solar panels.

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Out in the Open

#13 Force of nature. The National Trust for Scotland is using the sweep and scale of large format OOH to share how visitors use its wild landscapes to escape and unwind by our rivers, lochs and glens.

#14 The stuff of Champions. Loch Lomond Distillers evoked the spirit of the 2024 Scottish Open with a glorious Royal Troon sunset as part of its official partnership. And Glenfiddich marked the release of Grand Chateau, its luxury limited edition 31 year old single malt, using the breadth of Ocean’s UK network to entice new customers.

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#15 Humour helps memory encoding. In my view, the most memorable OOH campaigns are the funny ones. None better than the classic Irn-Bru work we have seen over the years. The brand’s run of ads building up to the 2024 Euros is a case in point.

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#16 No stranger to innovative formats, beauty brand Dove was the first to bring 3D DeepScreen® to Scotland this year, using our XL St James Quarter Edinburgh assets to promote its bodycare range in a 20 second animated spot. 

#17 The beauty and cosmetics category hits one of its natural spend peaks during the build up to Christmas. Skincare brand Clarins has opted for our premium portfolio to showcase its new double serum, which targets the signs of ageing brought on by lifestyle and, back to that all important word, environment.

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It’s on my Christmas list!

To find out more about our Scottish advertising portfolio, contact Debbie Ferguson, email Debbie.ferguson@oceanutdoor.com