Every year, Black Friday signals the start of Christmas shopping. Last year, AIB reported that consumers in Ireland spent over €95 million online on the day, with a record-breaking 900,000 card transactions. However, it’s not just about shopping; it’s about embracing seasonal traditions. From sea swims to scenic hikes and festive parties, audiences are embracing the season – outside of the home. OOH delivers across four main benefits.
Talon’s four Aces are audience, creative, effective and sustainability.
Audience
Christmas is a big deal. Kantar said that €1.4 billion passed through Ireland’s grocery tills last December, with the bulk of festive gift buying in October and November. This year, consumers plan to shop later – capitalising on events such as Black Friday (November 29) for the best deals. Despite the convenience of online shopping, in-store remains important, with 36 per cent of shoppers preferring a blend of both online and in-store experiences.
Shopping centres are the most popular environment, but with many consumers navigating a variety of shopping spaces, reaching them through multiple OOH touchpoints is key.
Creative
The challenge is not just to participate, but to stand out. The holiday magic lies in how effectively you can capture attention. While half of 16-24s spending an entire day doing their Christmas shopping, the average Irish consumer will spend four full days out shopping, so brands have extended dwell time to engage through creative campaigns.
Effective
Effective is all about delivering measurable results.
While creative visual appeal is essential, it’s not the full story. Brands need to cut through the clutter and noise. Christmas OOH campaigns deliver a 23 per cent uplift in ad recall. And with 60 per cent of all ecommerce now out of home (IPA analysis), OOH drives short-term sales, delivering a 47 per cent uplift in sales activation vs non-users, especially when featuring a call to action (55 per cent sales message vs 28 per cent branding message).
Sustainability
The final part of Aces is sustainability – highlighting the importance of balancing creativity with responsibility. Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact brands can have. Talon’s research shows Irish consumers believe brands make a positive contribution. Sustainable advertising not only supports the planet but also increases effectiveness along the brand funnel, driving an average uplift of 57 per cent.
It primes sustainable perceptions elsewhere, with social media up by 5.8 per cent.
