Dive Brief:
- Puma used a holographic activation to promote its new Sky Dreamer sneaker around this year's NBA All-Star weekend, the company shared with Marketing Dive.
- Smart media displays projected 3D visuals of the shoe and Puma-branded basketballs on the roofs of parked cars near Chicago landmarks.
- The shoe brand worked with Havas Media Group and the Whisk Agency on the programmatic effort, which ran from Friday to Sunday. The campaign used the vehicle-based screens of Firefly's 3D holoprojection technology.
Dive Insight:
Puma has explored out-of-home (OOH) activations over the past few years with agency Havas, which in 2018 snagged the sportswear company's $120 million media business from Publicis Media's Blue 449. This latest effort around a buzzy NBA event takes things to a new level with floating holographic imagery near some of Chicago's most trafficked landmarks, potentially extending the campaign's reach to more passersby.
In August 2019, Puma ran a similar geotargeted OOH campaign with ads delivered programmatically to screens atop taxis and ride-share vehicles in order to promote the grand opening of its New York City flagship store. Working with the same Firefly network, that campaign displayed the moving ads around major airports, tourist attractions and other select ZIP codes in the area.
The latest move during the NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago took a similar strategy by running tech-forward holographic ads above parked cars. These targeted ads showcased Puma's new sneaker to key audiences interested in sports by blending digital visuals with OOH activations.
The ability to target ads out in the real world — combining data targeting with real-world behaviors and retailer proximity — is one reason OOH ads saw record growth in 2019, per a study from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America. OOH's renaissance has been spurred by innovations in digital and mobile tech, such as programmatic delivery and digital signage that can adjust more dynamically. These factors have pushed OOH ads to become an increasingly powerful marketing tool for getting shoppers into physical stores, according to a 2019 Cuebiq study, pointing to why more brands are working to capitalize on growing investments in cutting-edge outdoor offerings.
