Brands pivot to OOH ads & chaos packaging trends

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Updates ☕️

🍺 Heineken turns any phone ‘boring’ to encourage IRL connection.

👀 E.l.f. challenges companies to ‘Dupe That!’ for latest purpose stunt.

📉 Instagram downgrades video quality for less viewed clips.

🚀 Instagram unveils annual ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ listing.

💊 Walmart launches pharmacy delivery to boost e-commerce offering.

🍫 Kate Spade launches M&M’S collection.

🛁 Beyond’s revenue falls nearly 17% in Q3.

📦 Amazon to end same-day delivery service from retailers’ local stores.

Why some brands are turning to out-of-home ads this holiday season

As election ads drive up digital costs, brands like Naadam are embracing out-of-home (OOH) ads to stand out. With digital ad spaces jam-packed, the quieter OOH channel offers an alternative to capture shoppers’ attention. But while OOH can cut through the noise, it still has its challenges, especially around tracking ROI.

What they're doing:

1. Naadam’s ‘Soft as Hell’ campaign: Cashmere brand Naadam launched its edgy “Soft as Hell” campaign in September, featuring playful OOH ads and even a mobile pop-up called “Hell on Wheels” to reach growing markets like Boston and D.C. “You have to cut through the noise,” said CEO Matt Scanlan, noting how the brand’s risqué ads engage audiences and capture emails, which spiked from 4,000 in 2023 to 29,000 in just one month.

2. Cost vs. reach: With CPMs for OOH averaging $7.24—cheaper than Facebook’s $10.32—smaller brands are finding OOH more accessible. Marketing agency Phidel Digital is advising clients to explore OOH, catalogs, and print as digital gets crowded. Philip Atkins of Phidel said, “OOH resonates because it’s nostalgic and tactile,” but noted brands are cautious due to the challenge of tracking results.

The challenge: OOH lacks digital's concrete tracking, making it hard to assess impact, especially as brands grapple with mixed Q3 results. Atkins shared, “While brands love the physical impact, they want measurable results as they approach 2025.”

The takeaway: OOH is emerging as a strategic, albeit harder-to-measure, tool for brands to rise above holiday ad clutter. As brands eye 2025, OOH could see a lift, balancing performance with creative reach.

‘Chaos packaging’: How brands are turning heads with unexpected designs

Why it matters: Brands are making packaging as eye-catching as a billboard, taking cues from startup success stories like Flo, Liquid Death, and Graza. This “chaos packaging” trend, where tampons come in ice-cream tubs and sunscreen looks like whipped cream, helps brands stand out on crowded shelves and capture free social media attention.

What they're doing:

1. Breaking the mold: Lesser-known brands are using unconventional packaging—like motor oil tins for gin (Engine) or squeeze bottles for olive oil (Graza)—to drive impulse buys and boost brand recognition.

2. Social media magnet: Sunscreen brand Vacation’s whipped cream can design generates about 5 million views a week on TikTok in peak summer, leveraging the novelty for free advertising.

3. Innovating on the shelf: With e-commerce costs rising, products that stand out in-store are more valuable than ever. Unique designs don’t just turn heads; they also increase “dwell time,” particularly for categories like menstrual products, where brands like Flo aim to reduce stigma by adding a playful twist.

The risk: Creative packaging can go too far. Puracy, for instance, paused production of soap refill cans after concerns they looked too much like soda, illustrating the fine line between innovation and confusion.

The takeaway: For brands trying to make an impression, investing in unique packaging is a way to boost shelf appeal, earn organic social reach, and outmaneuver the increasingly expensive digital ad landscape.

NOTES 📝

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