Across supermarkets, fast food outlets, convenience stores and restaurants, we’re witnessing how food brands are redefining the Out of Home (OOH) space, doing more than just driving short term sales. From Heinz in a bold brand-building campaign, to contextually relevant creatives that align with pop-culture moments like Aldi and Walkers, food brands across the category are leaning into OOH.   

With upcoming changes to the way brands can advertise food products in 2026, here’s why OOH should be at the centre of any media plan – the prime format for unbeatable impact, without restriction.

OOH campaigns are serving up trust to food brands

Food shopping habits are changing fast. The ‘big weekly shop’ is off the menu, replaced by smaller, more frequent ‘top-up’ visits, which make up 67% of supermarket visits.¹ With shoppers visiting an average of 3.2 different supermarkets,² there’s a need for brands to differentiate themselves – and OOH is a prime ingredient for food brands to stand out, with 38% of shoppers saying they had bought a supermarket product as a result of seeing it on an OOH campaign.³

And familiarity drives confidence in store, as shoppers trust what they know – familiarity has shown to be one of the main determinants of food choice.⁴ 

The importance of audience trust in OOH can’t be ignored when we’re looking at familiarity for food brands. Trust remains important for all brands in the market, with fierce competition across food as one of the busiest categories. Across the board, brands should be seen on OOH, as it’s ranked as one of the most trusted media channels⁵ – brands harnessing this positive outlook can build this crucial familiarity, pushing their reliability and credibility. OOH is uniquely positioned to strengthen trust, driving awareness and action in a competitive landscape.

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Quick-service means quick decisions

Quick-service restaurants are on every main street in the UK. McDonalds, Pret, KFC, Wasabi – the list is endless. So, it’s no surprise that over half of us choose quick service restaurants when purchasing food on the go, and 42% of us are eating at these restaurants weekly.⁶  

Our Ocean Pulse survey found that 44% are deciding what to eat ‘on the spot’, based on what they see around ⁷ – and this is where OOH comes in. With 67% of people making a spontaneous quick service food purchase after seeing an advertisement whilst out,⁸ OOH is a key medium to be seen on to turn campaign engagement into real time sales.  

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Sweet tooth: Sustainability is the main ingredient in snacking and confectionary

More confectionary brands are going green with their values, putting sustainability and social responsibility at the core of their identity in response to shifting customer tastes. With 63% of shoppers looking for brands that cut carbon, source ingredients ethically and embrace sustainable supply chains,⁹ it’s clear that going ‘green’ isn’t just a trend. In fact, 79% of customers say they’re changing their purchasing preferences based on confectionary products’ eco-credentials, inclusiveness and environmental impact.¹⁰

Brands can accelerate their sustainable reputation by using DOOH. Only 3.5% of carbon emissions per impression are generated by OOH,¹¹ the lowest of the media channels analysed, making it the ideal format for brands to advertise on to show their alignment with customer values.  

OOH as one of the last true broadcast mediums

With January 2026 bringing restrictions to both online and TV advertising, OOH offers a compliant and high impact alternative. It’s overtaken TV as the medium with the broadest reach and the highest number of exposures.¹² For food brands that will be affected by regulation changes, OOH needs to be built into their media plans to maintain visibility and stay front of mind in a newly regulated media landscape.  

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With OOH there are endless creative opportunities

OOH provides food brands the opportunity to deliver interactive, innovative and memorable campaigns without restriction, with unbeatable reach.  

Walkers harnessed Ocean DeepScreen® to create a campaign with the perfect blend of creativity and experiential across Piccadilly Lights. 3D DeepScreen campaigns leave audiences wanting more, with 34% saying they would go out of their way to see a 3D ad again and the number of viewers noticing and engaging with a campaign rise to 55%, with a 17% increase in creative appeal versus 2D full motion.¹³

Their campaign went further than the screen. With Ocean Brand Experience, audiences could sample some of Walkers’ most iconic crisp flavours, bringing the campaign to life before appearing on Piccadilly with some recognisable stars of the campaign… it was immersive OOH at its best. And with research showing over 90% of customers saying they’d be more likely to buy from a brand after an activation,¹⁴ Ocean Labs technology can truly deliver increased engagement with real sales results.  

With Ocean Live, Lindt made history. They drove visitors directly into their flagship West End store with a screen domination countdown in Piccadilly Circus, before a live stream to mark the occasion of their store opening. With a media reach of 19m and 22,000 social media engagements, Lindt showed the power of OOH to supply cross-channel synergy, amplifying brand messaging and reach.¹⁵

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OOH is the secret ingredient

In a category filled with an endless choice of brands, food purchase decisions are made quickly and often in the moment. OOH ensures brands achieve the visibility and impact needed to shape consideration, drive purchases and sustain mental availability when potential customers are out and about – and ready to eat.  

To book your food category presentation with a member of our sales team and find out more about our DOOH networks and creative opportunities, email salesenquiries@oceanoutdoor.com.  

(1) (2) (3) Retail Times, 2025

(4) Food Research International, 2021

(5) Advertising Association, 2020

(6) (7) (8) Ocean Pulse, 2025

(9) Mondelez International, 2024

(10) CapGemini, 2020

(11) OutSmart and KPMG, 2024

(12) Uncensored CMO podcast, 2025

(13) Independent research study carried out by Opinium on behalf of Ocean Outdoor, 2023

(14) The Drum, 2023

(15) Pulsar, 2025