1/Ocean leads by quality, ideas and product. How has our approach influenced creativity in OOH?

Investing in our sites and technology allows us to create the right canvases for ideas to come to life. From the outset, we think about the creative potential of an Out of Home (OOH) location before we add the screen, the tech, the bells and whistles.

Underpinning this innovation first approach is the quality of the Ocean brand, our offer and our knowledge of what works best for OOH audiences. We are also pragmatists, which influences how we approach big, ambitious briefs in outdoor environments.

Last year, Ocean Labs produced 22 official UK fan zones for Wimbledon, the Olympics and Paralympics over a 10 week period, a huge undertaking based on our understanding of fandom and what draws audiences in. The popularity of brand activations from partners like Aldi is one example of how people are happy to trade off participation for instant gratification – in this case a free smoothie.

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2/How is technology complementary and necessary to creativity, and how does Ocean help creatives ply their craft?

Increasingly the two are interlinked, particularly where the wider tech market revolved around AI or metaverse type behaviours – those interfaces around daily life that people are becoming more familiar with. We track and match our available creative tool kit to these emerging trends, trying and testing them before they accelerate further down the line. Which could be a year or two.

One example is the award-winning Gorillaz ‘Skinny Ape’ AR activation, a musical performance featuring real time animations above the skyline of Piccadilly Lights. Global brands like Coca-Cola are using creative technology on a mass level. Our job is to give brands as many ways into creative technology as possible. This is where Ocean Labs and Brand Partnerships work together, hosting high level strategy sessions which take briefs and then workshop what is possible.

Ocean’s Digital Creative Competition and the emergency of formats like 3D DeepScreen®, have pushed us further into new territory, allowing Ocean Studio to craft ideas alongside creatives, agencies and clients.

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3/How do you use and deploy artificial intelligence tools to create and personalise messages and experiences for Out of Home audiences?

We are experimenting with AI for user generated content. Fun things like AI photobooths which people can easily interact with. We have an AI mixed reality experience which transports users into a world beyond the screen itself. This allows us to change, for example, a London street to a Venice canal but using the same architecture that is already there. People can play with the creative using AI tools. We also use it for concepting to render and test ideas more quickly, before taking them to market.

4/What are the most anticipated OOH trends of 2025?

The last couple of years have seen a flurry of more traditional formats, murals and special builds. The way the market feels at the moment, interactive technology is experiencing a renaissance. Tech adds to classic formats, for example murals with an augmented reality element which you can unlock on your phone.

This year we will be building on our interactive DeepScreen Alive offer in new and different environments. These will allow people to play and experiment with 3D rendered visuals, unlock new experiences, games and adventures. Brands are also seeking immersive experiences. Manchester’s Printworks SkyLights is a spectacular example of where Digital Out of Home (DOOH) comes in.

Marquee sports events like the Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) later this year massively extend the field of play in another direction. OOH plays into the “community is cool” trend. Genuine connection is the new currency. Fan zones, and premium spaces like Landsec’s The Venue which sits below Piccadilly Lights, are places for connection – where your customers, future customers and brand advocates can engage with each other, not just with your products. The WRWC is a chance to tie community to a cultural moment. Our continued foray into live sports events and content puts brand partners right in the field of play. And with seats for the Twickenham final becoming the hottest tickets of the year, I expect our Official fan zone will be rammed. 

Projections will also be a big thing.  This year we are working with Battersea Power Station and will renew our partnership with English Heritage in London to unlock new opportunities.  

5/Name three of our favourite Labs productions and why they hit the mark

The L’Oreal Worth It Experience in Piccadilly Circus was a pure masterclass in using screens, interactive tech, experiential and influencer engagement. It not only drove physical sales to the Boots store next door, but massive sales and reach on social platforms too. This backs up the Neuroscience work we have been doing to explain why you should combine all the different strands together. How interactive tech delivers more engagement, full motion delivers better memory encoding and how DOOH drives social shares (source: The Vital Ingredient).

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The Channel 4 interactive DOOH campaign for their zombie TV drama Generation Z at Westfield Stratford City was really fun and goofy. It shows how you don’t need to take yourself too seriously. People want to do weird stuff.

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I also loved the Rockstar digital concert campaign using Stormzy and the Liverpool Media Wall to unlock virtual worlds around the screen and within the experiential space. I hope we see more campaigns like this which link the physical, the digital and the virtual at landmark locations.

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Melanie Blood is head of Ocean Labs.

To book an Ocean Labs session, contact melanie.blood@oceanoutdoor.com