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Creative matters: what makes a good outdoor ad

26 Jan 2023

When it comes to outdoor advertising, the bigger does not necessarily mean the better. Simplicity and creativity are two key factors, rather than size, that can make an outdoor campaign stand out, according to a survey led by Professor Kara Chan, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) of the School of Communication and Professor of the Department of Communication Studies.

In the age of smartphones, tablets and laptops, people usually are skilled in avoiding pop-up advertisements and online banners, yet they still take notice of billboards and posters when they use public transport every day. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising, which is typically put in high-traffic areas to promote services or products, now adopts digital technologies in a bid to capture commuters’ attention.

But how much of OOH advertising is effective? To find out people’s perception of advertising campaigns in public locations, Professor Chan guided a team of students who took part in the course “Audience Measurement and Engagement” to conduct an empirical study on the effectiveness of MTR advertising. The students surveyed more than 600 people about their general views towards advertisements in MTR stations as well as their awareness of selected advertising posters.

The survey shows that while most people pay attention to MTR advertising, less than 30% of the respondents considered the advertisements to be creative. “From our survey, we can see that advertising posters with a low awareness rating usually have too many words crammed together, or they contain messages in multiple languages. Some advertisements have too many images and somehow diluted the focus, and some just showcase the product, without paying enough attention to the image of the user which also forms part of the customer experience,” Professor Chan says.

In terms of the effectiveness of MTR advertising in influencing consumers’ decisions, the study reveals that even though some of the advertisements can build brand awareness, the impact on purchase decisions is low, with 86% of the respondents saying that they rarely or never buy a product because of its MTR advertisements.

The results of the survey offer insights into what makes an OOH advertising campaign stand out. Advertisements which have raised a high level of awareness among the respondents have simple designs and interactive features. People also respond positively towards advertisements which are entertaining and visually stimulating, and they consider advertisements in video format more appealing than static advertisements.

Professor Chan says: “The respondents pay more attention to advertising posters that are creative and colourful. It appears that people look to advertisements as a way to amuse themselves, therefore the more creative the advertisements are, the more attention they receive.”

She suggests improving MTR advertising by using a clean design with an eye-catching focus point. The advertisements should contain words in a single language so that people on the move can grasp the message easily.

Besides simplicity in the design, creativity is another major factor in holding people’s attention. “A lot of advertisements for personal healthcare products show a female model next to the product. Instead of using this unoriginal approach, advertisers can highlight what’s unique about their products and impress upon the customer with an equally vivid portrayal of the product user in the advertisement,” Professor Chan says. “They can also adopt techniques in photojournalism to tell stories through images.”