Promotional feature

Celebrating tech for good

by Staff November 04, 2022

From getting people home safely to rehoming dogs, meet the winners of the 2022 Ocean Digital Creative Competition

The array of creativity on show at the 2022 Ocean Digital Creative Competition awards, run in partnership with Campaign, highlights that the present – and future – is very bright for digital out of home.

The 13th annual event, hosted at the National Gallery in London, shone a spotlight on tech for good campaigns that tackled societal issues in impactful ways and used the reach of DOOH to effect change.

The winning ideas share £500,000 worth of airtime for their campaigns to be showcased across Ocean’s multiple environments and iconic digital formats in cities across the UK, including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City and Canary Wharf.

Twenty expert judges were drawn from brands, agencies, specialists, Campaign and Ocean and selected first, second and third prizes in two categories - commercial brand and charity.

The winning campaigns were immersed in community and on-the-street citizen engagement, reflecting just how relevant and creative the DOOH space is right now. Let’s take a look.

Commercial brand category

1st prize: EE “Home safe”by Saatchi & Saatchi

EE’s “Stay Connected data” means that no matter where they are, how late, or out of data, customers always have access to the essential apps to get home safely at night. Combining this offering with Ocean’s technology, EE uses live data feeds across the loop network to pull in travel updates to help plan and track journeys. HD cameras and lighting technology on the loop network recognise lone women and light the space around them, using AR to show smart routes to get to transport links or safe spaces.

The judges said: “Most sector campaigns are based on price differential, but EE has come up with something very different. This is tech for good and using DOOH locations is exactly the right platform. It solves a real problem and reflects out of home as the responsible channel it is.”

2nd prize: Zoom by Ocado “Blinking Fast Delivery” by St. Luke’s

This fun, immersive campaign allows people to compete against each other on a digital racetrack using one of Zoom by Ocado’s iconic speedy grocery characters. Using LookOut technology, the billboard tracks people’s blinks and whoever blinks the fastest wins the race, a prize and the glory of being named a true blinking legend. Participants’ names appear on a Speederboard, which can be shared on social channels.

The judges said: “This campaign highlights Zoom by Ocado’s unique brand proposition and the power of DOOH. It’s a cool idea and we like the game mechanic. It is new, original, and makes you laugh.”

3rd prize: Solgar “Golden lights”by Saatchi & Saatchi

Two million Brits experience a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).Vitamin and supplement brand Solgar is committed to wellness and wants to help people get through the shorter, gloomier days in a healthier way. To make that happen they will transform Ocean billboards into SAD lights early in the morning and late at night, keeping the UK healthy through the winter.

The judges said: “Responsive billboards triggered by the darkness and weather to boost people’s wellness: this is the kind of idea every creative wants to sell to their client. It is a great idea.”

Charity category

1st prize: The Trussell Trust “Put it on your list”by TMW Unlimited

The Trussell Trust has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people using food banks – up 81% in the past year alone. But food banks are struggling to meet demand. Not only are they in dire need of donations, but what they need changes from day-to-day, hour-to-hour.

“Put it on your list” is a contextually relevant, geo-targeted outdoor campaign that notifies shoppers exactly which products are most needed by their nearest food bank at that very moment. It then prompts them to add those items to their shopping list or scan a QR code to make a direct emergency donation.

The judges said: “We like the idea of using the localities to encourage people to engage with their local food banks. This is a nice use of data and tech to do something practical.”

2nd prize: British Heart Foundation “Lifesaving beats”by Saatchi & Saatchi

Ninety percent of people who have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital currently don’t make it. But these odds could improve if only more people knew how to perform CPR correctly and at the right beat. Hoping to save lives, this idea teams the British Heart Foundation with Spotify to teach the nation how to do CPR to any of their favourite songs which are 100-120 bpm - the perfect beat for CPR.

The judges said: “This is an important educational piece and it works. CPR is a hard thing to do. People will learn something and the idea connects the physical to the digital.”

3rd prize: Mayhew “Mayhew Mini Me’s”by Dentsu Creative

As record numbers of pets are abandoned at shelters, the search is on for new “forever homes”. A recent study proves that not only do dogs look like their owners, but people are more likely to adopt a dog that looks like them. Using Ocean’s LookOut technology, this campaign uses facial detection to pair people with a dog that’s not only a physical match but is waiting to be adopted. Once they have been matched, people can find out more about their canine mini-me via the dog’s online profile, which shows their likes, dislikes and needs.