The advertising landscape is constantly evolving, and attracting consumers' attention is becoming a real challenge in a world saturated with messages.
FOOH (Fake Out Of Home) is emerging as an innovative advertising trend that plays on the ambiguity between the real and the virtual to retain audiences.
TheFOOH is transforming brand communication. Given its ability to generate engagement on social networks through striking visual illusions, this form of digital advertising is transforming the way brands communicate with their audience.
What is FOOH?
FOOH, or Fake Out Of Home, is an advertising technique that creates visual illusions to attract attention. These digital creations seem to interact with the real environment, provoking a surprise effect in viewers.
FOOH doesn't physically exist in the public space, but is designed to be shared on social networks, provoking a brand craze. To find out more about this trend, check out this article on Medium.
Unlike traditional OOH, which uses physical media such as billboards, FOOH exists only in the digital world. This format also differs from DOOH (Digital Out Of Home), which broadcasts digital content on real screens installed in public spaces.
FOOH plays on the ambiguity between real and virtual to generate more engagement than traditional advertising.
FOOH operation and technologies
Basic principles of FOOH
FOOH is based on a simple but effective principle: to create an illusion between what is real and what is virtual. The aim is to surprise the public with content that appears to interact with our world, but which in reality exists only in the digital world.
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Legend: This table compares the key characteristics of OOH, DOOH and FOOH advertising, in terms of physical presence, flexibility, targeting, interactivity, cost, advantages and disadvantages. It provides a better understanding of the differences between these three types of outdoor advertising.
To create a FOOH campaign, we start by devising a creative concept that plays on this ambiguity. Then we prepare the visuals, integrating virtual elements into real environments.
Distribution is mainly via social networks, where content can quickly go viral. This approach offers great creative flexibility while avoiding the constraints of physical advertising media.
Technologies used in FOOH
The technologies behind FOOH mainly combine special effects and augmented reality to create this illusion between the virtual and the real.
Augmented reality plays a central role in the creation of powerful FOOH campaigns. This technology enables virtual elements to be superimposed on our real environment, creating the illusion that these elements are actually part of the landscape.
Digital special effects complement this approach by adding details that enhance realism, such as shadows, reflections and interactions with the environment.
The aim is to make the illusion convincing enough for the audience to stop and wonder about what they're seeing.
On the software side, we often use video composition and image editing tools such as After Effects or Photoshop to create these effects.
Preferred distribution platforms
For FOOH to work well, you need to choose the right platforms on which to distribute content.
For optimal distribution, it's crucial to choose the right social platforms for FOOH videos.
- Instagram: Ideal for high-quality visuals and reaching a large audience.
- TikTok: Amplify virality with short, creative videos.
- Facebook: Allows precise demographic targeting to reach your target audience.
- Youtube: Suitable for longer videos and explanatory content.
Adapting content to each platform is essential to maximize the impact of FOOH campaigns.
The success of a FOOH campaign depends heavily on its ability to go viral and be shared. The surprise effect created by the ambiguity between real and virtual naturally encourages users to comment on and share the content with those around them.
Brands can also integrate participative elements to encourage interaction and increase the reach of their message. This social dimension is one of the great advantages of FOOH over traditional advertising formats.
On Instagram, the partagee publication format has proved particularly effective for FOOH campaigns.
FOOH campaign creation process
To create a FOOH campaign, we generally follow a process consisting of several key steps.
Before embarking on production, it's important to clearly define marketing objectives and prepare a detailed creative brief. This document will guide the entire team, specifying the message to be conveyed, the target audience and any technical or budgetary constraints.
Awell-constructed brief helps avoid unpleasant surprises and ensures that the campaign remains aligned with the brand's overall strategy.
You can choose between working with a specialized agency or developing the campaign in-house if you have the skills.
Benefits and impact of FOOH for brands
FOOH marketing advantages
FOOH instantly grabs consumers' attention in an advertising environment where every brand wants to stand out from the crowd. Campaigns using this technique stand out from the crowd because they offer an unusual visual experience.
The surprise effect is one of FOOH's major assets in its ability to generate engagement. The confusion between real and virtual elements provokes an immediate emotional reaction in viewers.
Consumers are naturally attracted by what's out of the ordinary, which explains why FOOH publications generate so much interaction.
Visual ambiguity stimulates curiosity and encourages sharing, creating a snowball effect on social networks.
FOOH radically transforms narrative possibilities for brands, enabling them to tell stories that would be impossible to stage using traditional means.
Engagement on social networks
FOOH campaigns generate much higher engagement rates than traditional advertising on social platforms. We often observe a three- or four-fold increase in the number of shares compared to a standard publication of the same brand.
FOOH videos retain attention longer, with an average viewing time 40% higher than that of traditional advertising content. This attention retention translates into better memorization of the advertising message.
Users spontaneously share FOOH content because they want to be the first to show their community something unusual. The surprise effect plays a central role in this sharing dynamic, turning viewers into involuntary brand ambassadors.
Young urban adults are the most active segment in sharing this content, particularly on Instagram and TikTok.
The virality of a FOOH campaign is directly linked to its unexpected nature and the quality of its technical execution.
Impact on brand awareness and image
Companies that use FOOH benefit from a modernized perception of their image. Consumers associate these brands with innovation and the avant-garde, even in traditionally undigitized sectors.
This positive association persists several months after the campaign, creating a lasting effect on brand awareness. FOOH's unconventional approach enables brands to differentiate themselves from their direct competitors.
FOOH significantly helps brands to position themselves as innovative in the minds of consumers.
The use of advanced creative technologies demonstrates an ability to think differently and take creative risks. This perception of innovation naturally transfers to the brand's products or services, even when they are not revolutionary in themselves.
Technology companies and lifestyle brands particularly benefit from this association with innovation. The positive effect on image lasts around 6 to 8 months after the campaign, requiring regular renewal to maintain this perception.
Examples of successful FOOH campaigns
Luxury and fashion brands
Several luxury brands have turned to FOOH to create original campaigns that stand out from the crowd.
Jacquemus made its mark with a publication shared on Instagram that gave the impression that its famous miniature bags were floating above the streets of Paris. The campaign generated over 2 million views in just a few days, and was picked up by numerous fashion media.
The concept was based on a perfectly mastered play on scale that created an ambiguity between the real and the virtual, reinforcing the brand's characteristic visual identity. The key to the viral success of this operation.
Other houses such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton are also exploring this format with FOOH videos that transform their products into surreal elements in urban space.
Consumer brands
FOOH and consumer brands use it cleverly to connect with their audience. Nivea recently launched a FOOH campaign on TikTok to celebrate the anniversary of its Nivea Soft cream. Read more about this campaign on La Revue du Digital.
Coca-Cola has virtually transformed vending machines into giant fountains rising from the ground in a series of videos shared massively on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Maybelline exploited the fake out home with its mascara that appeared to enlarge urban billboard screens.
Here are a few FOOH campaigns that stood out for their creativity and impact.
- Instagram: Ideal for high-quality visuals and reaching a large audience.
- TikTok: Amplify virality with short, creative videos.
- Facebook: Allows precise demographic targeting to reach your target audience.
- Youtube: Suitable for longer videos and explanatory content.
These campaigns demonstrate the potential of FOOH for consumer brands.
Implementing an effective FOOH campaign
Best practices and strategic advice
A successful FOOH campaign requires an original concept that will surprise the public and generate sharing on social networks.
Originality plays an important role in the success of a FOOH campaign, given the saturation of advertising content on digital platforms. Brands that stand out are those that manage to find a unique creative angle to present their product.
Thebalance between visual creativity and brandmessage is crucial to ensure that effect does not overtake substance. References to popular culture or current trends can provide an interesting starting point for creativity.
For it to work, your FOOH must fit seamlessly into your overall marketing strategy, and not just be a one-off.
Costs and budget considerations
A FOOH campaign involves several items of expenditure that you need to factor into your budget. Creative design usually represents the largest share, followed by visual effects production and post-production work.
If you use influencers to amplify the reach of your campaign, you'll need to set aside a specific budget. Broadcasting on social networks may require advertising investment to maximize initial visibility before the viral effect takes over.
The table above gives you an overview of the cost differences between the main advertising formats, which will help you better plan your marketing budget.
The future of FOOH in the advertising landscape
Technological evolution and new possibilities
FOOH is about to undergo major changes with the technical advances that are on the way. Augmented reality technologies are becoming more accessible, enabling us to create ever more stunning visual illusions.
In the years to come, we're likely to see FOOH campaigns that incorporate real-time interactive elements, enabling the audience to participate directly in the experience. Content creators will be able to play more with the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.
The metaverse will open new doors for FOOH campaigns, offering unlimited virtual spaces to create immersive advertising experiences. Brands will be able to build universes where users virtually try out their products, such as clothes or cars, without physical constraints.
Augmented reality will create hybrid FOOH ads that superimpose themselves on the real world to completely blur the boundary between the physical and the digital.
Artificial intelligence will personalize FOOH ads according to user preferences, making each campaign more relevant and engaging.
Market outlook and brand adoption
The entertainment, fashion and food sectors are likely to embrace FOOH on a massive scale to create buzz around their products.
FOOH's proven effectiveness in driving engagement will accelerate its adoption by many brands looking to stand out from the crowd. Production costs and technical complexity may hold back some companies, especially smaller ones with limited marketing budgets.
The changing habits of consumers, who respond better to creative advertising experiences, clearly favor the rise of FOOH. The number of creative agencies specializing in this field is set to multiply, offering brands tailor-made support for successful FOOH campaigns.
FOOH risks losing its surprise impact if consumers are exposed to it too much in their daily lives. Creativity and originality will remain the key factors for standing out from the crowd and maintaining attention in an increasingly saturated advertising environment.
Constant innovation and the exploration of new visual techniques will be essential to prevent FOOH from becoming banal in the eyes of viewers.
Personalizing content to different cultural contexts can help keep consumers interested in the long term.
FOOH overturns the codes of traditional advertising by combining visual creativity and virality on social networks.
This trend, which plays on the ambiguity between the real and the virtual, offers brands unprecedented visibility in a saturated advertising landscape.
Given the speed at which augmented reality technologies are evolving, now is the ideal time for brands to explore this format before it becomes too commonplace.
