Although travel in Dublin was severely restricted when JCDecaux’s ‘Thank You’ digital campaign was live, the ads managed to deliver a 39 per cent recall among adults, a study by B&A shows. Almost all of those who saw the ads felt they worked in letting frontline workers know that the public supported them and appreciated the work they were doing.
The B&A survey studies the effectiveness of digital out of home (DOOH) formats at reaching audiences in local areas. Although travel was hugely restricted during the Covid-19 lockdown consumers were still making regular short journeys within their own community and noticing ads on digital outdoor formats when they did so.
Walking was the main mode of transport at the time with 52 per cent choosing to travel by foot for essential journeys. The lockdown meant that JCDecaux operatives could not visit traditional poster sites to bill-post them with new ads. The only formats which could be updated remotely were the digital roadside and retail screens.
JCDecaux decided to put the digital space to good use and rans ads thanking frontline staff working through the crisis, which turned out to be a useful research tool. Tony O’Flanagan, marketing director, JCDecaux said while it was not originally the company’s intention to research the campaign, it proved an important in measuring audiences.
Pictured are Tony O’Flanagan, JCDecaux and Ian McShane, B&A, beside a ‘Thank You’ ad
