Just-In-Time Super Bowl Activations Increasingly Using Out-Of-Home Assets

Just-In-Time Super Bowl Activations Increasingly Using Out-Of-Home Assets

Just-in-time marketing activations are designed to efficiently deliver targeted messages to customers at exactly the right time, and ultimately to spur a desired outcome. So, few would think passive out-of-home (OOH) assets would be useful in those campaigns.  

Historically, billboards and murals have been used for brand exposure; people take notice of them and keep driving. OOH activations also capture relatively little consumer data relative to other advertising verticals, which explains why related assets have traditionally commanded lower CPM rates. 

But companies like Nike, Lowes, Verizon, Uber, Raising Cane’s, Bud Light, Michelob, Pepsi and Diageo have all made substantial investments in just-in-time activations with significant OOH components ahead of Super Bowl LIX. They’ve come to see billboards and other integrated signage opportunities in host cities as valuable content generation opportunities–and effective content multipliers; digital creators and social media influencers are increasingly embracing these creations in their own content.  

And with social platforms and advancements in technology (think: geofencing), brands are now able to capture consumer insights that weren’t available to OOH marketers in decades past. 

Brands are increasingly looking beyond the venue to maximize the impact of just-in-time marketing campaigns tied to marquee sporting events. That is particularly true for those seeking to activate around National Football League games. 

Unlike other professional leagues, the NFL largely avoids having branded products and messaging on or near its fields (the ‘Gatorade bath’ and Microsoft Surface tablets seen on sidelines are among the exceptions). As a result, commercials aside, brand imagery is typically only seen for a few seconds, if at all, during game broadcasts.  

The lack of airtime means it is difficult for brands with in-venue signage to realize the ‘content multiplier’ effect other leagues’ partners benefit from (think: signage appears on screen during broadcast or in creators’ social media posts). Only those in attendance at NFL stadiums see –or create content– around partner activations. 

On-court/ice/field branding can spur hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, in earned media exposure over the course of an NBA/NHL/MLB season. And those leagues draw substantially less viewership than the average NFL game.  

OUTFRONT’s ‘Prime for a Time’ offering has seemingly addressed the NFL’s inventory and multiplier challenges, and given brands –including those that are not league partners– a turnkey solution to activate locally around the big game.

It’s logical to wonder how that is possible when OOH assets rarely make it onto the television broadcast. 

But by using billboards and wallscapes, OUTFRONT has turned greater New Orleans into an extension of the Caesars Superdome and created a series of unique brand activations across the city. Remember, unlike in-venue activations that are often limited to just a brand name, logo, and perhaps a small call-to-action, OOH channels allow for the creation of more robust and/or differentiated content that can better engage fans and potential customers.

Many of the assets created have since become foundational components of prominent social media campaigns.  

Influencers, in particular, are adopting the visuals in their Super Bowl LIX content. And OUTFRONT has noticed that many are now commenting on each other’s posts, creating an even more powerful digital multiplier effect.  

For context, a ‘22 ComScore study found that OOH advertising drives 7x more social activations per ad dollar spent than any other medium. 

"We attribute the social OOH phenomenon to the highly visual nature of these high-profile locations. [They are] the perfect backdrop for social content,” Liz Rave (VP, marketing, OUTFRONT) said. 

The ‘Prime for a Time’ activations have also commanded coverage from national and local media.   

Of course, OOH advertising is not a new concept. Brands have long used billboards and murals to market themselves. 

The difference now is an increasing number are beginning to understand the power of the digital/social influencer/creator multiplier effect and are actively looking to leverage OOH assets to get influencers/creators excited about their campaigns. 

That makes sense considering a ‘24 Harris poll suggested that 40% of Americans share OOH ads on their social channels, and that figure jumps significantly when zeroing in exclusively on GenZ and Millennial consumers.  

“A staggering 77% of Gen Z respondents said they took action, primarily on digital [after seeing an OOH ad],” Rave said. “Nearly half also responded that seeing a brand in an iconic location makes them more interested in it than if they saw [the company] on a different channel.” 

OUTFRONT’s just-in-time approach has been executed around other tentpole sporting events. The company activated New York City for both the US Open Tennis Championships and the TCS New York City Marathon. 

Rights owners hosting marquee events moving forward would be wise to consider embracing the strategy in their local market(s). The exposure gained outside of the venue and potential multiplier effect discussed can spur substantial partner returns. US Open official sponsors, Evian and L'Oreal's La Roche Posay, garnered 11mm and 28mm social impressions from OOH assets, respectively.

And OUTFRONT is now offering a turnkey solution for many to place customized content in high-traffic destinations.  

While just-in-time marketing is inherently tied to a specific moment or event, rights owners across the board can –and should– lean into OOH across longer time horizons (even if it means creating their own calendar of ‘events’). If an organization is going to spend all the time, money, and effort necessary to develop powerful creative and draw in the influencer community, it only makes sense to capitalize on the campaign’s value for more than just a few weeks.  

Particularly, as the demand for and costs of the inventory remain relatively low. 

“We see the smartest brands using our strategically located assets to extend the event or sports experience,” Rave said. They “capture the energy and communal vibe of [a] moment to drive deeper recall of the advertisement.” 

OUTFRONT’s internal studies show that contextually or culturally relevant ads can drive 2.2x more recall and extend the asset’s lifetime because it is not confined to the time restraints of a singular event.   

Several big brands have figured out just-in-time is more effective than the standard real-time marketing approaches typically deployed around large-scale sporting events. It’s just a matter of time until rights owners cement their relationships with the OUTFRONT’s of the world so they can offer partners unique OOH assets alongside the standard in-venue inventory.

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