The result was a DOOH display, optimised via programmatic buying, which incorporated larger-than-life 3D visuals that appeared to be emerging from the billboard.
Remi du Preez at Innovocean, the V&A’s appointed media owner, says that this ‘anamorphic programmatic’ format is a first for both the DOOH industry and South Africa – not to mention the rest of the world.
“While anamorphic DOOH campaigns are not new, they are highly popular – especially among developed markets – as is programmatic buying, with South Africa catching on to the benefits these technologies offer. However, to the best of our knowledge, this execution, which marries a programmatic buy with anamorphic creative, is a first – even across the global playing field,” he says.
Mark1, the creative agency for Remax of Southern Africa, conceptualised a campaign that would see their client’s signature hot air balloon appear to be ‘floating’ in the heart of one of the Mother City’s most prominent tourist destinations. Flighted from the V&A centre court’s flagship corner-wrap digital screen, the anamorphic creative is also displayed across several smaller-scale free-standing totems located throughout the precinct.
The integration of programmatic technology allowed for the strategic control of the campaign’s roll-out, streamlining the entire DOOH buying process from start to finish. Will Brownsdon, managing director EMEA at Hivestack, a programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad tech company, says “The campaign was activated programmatically using our Demand Side Platform (DSP), and scheduled to run on Innovocean’s screens integrated within our Supply Side Platform (SSP).
“Leveraging the benefits of the Hivestack DSP, Mark1 had access to a consolidated dashboard, allowing it to upload creative and define campaign parameters, as well as plan, monitor and optimise delivery in real-time,” Brownsdon continues.
To ensure a captive audience, Innovocean integrated multiple cutting-edge technologies that would allow it to identify the number of people passing by its displays at any given moment. This data was then overlaid with existing audience impression multiplier data sets, allowing Mark1 to ascertain a more exact impression count and thus achieving a level of sophistication in audience measurement that has never been seen before in South Africa’s OOH arena.
“Having access to both media and creative specialists allowed us to take advantage of innovative media opportunities in a creative way. This has been an exciting project for all of us; most certainly the start of many to come,” says Shannon Delaporte, managing director at Mark1.
Vicky Goslett, co-regional owner and chief marketing officer at Remax of Southern Africa, says, “From the brand’s inception, the Remax hot air balloon has been an integral part of our marketing strategy, setting us apart from our competitors. The novelty of having a giant hot air balloon floating in the middle of the mall was something that we believe will create a long-lasting impact on those who happen to pass by.”
