Originally Printed in OUTDOOR ADVERTISING MAGAZINE 12/2008, reprinted with permission of the author

I sometimes skip the morning McMuffin opting to make my own breakfast. When I “Cracked the case on CBS” for smash hit CSI… while fixing an omelette. I had scrambled one of the 35 million (laser-etched) eggs that had been graphically enhanced with the ubiquitous “ CBS Eye” logo and commercial message for CSI. I then proceeded to remove my suit out of it’s printed dry-cleaning bag (for another network’s program). Then drove in search of the lowest price filling station, whose gas pumps also dispensed ads featured on both static and video pump-top displays. On the commute into work my car’s tires played the “William Tell” overture on custom speed bumps (calibrated to play @55 miles an hour ) courtesy of TOYOTA’s Billboard Campaign… Bump… Bump… Bump… Bummmmp….

After picking up a coffee from the Morning Coffee Kiosk whose eye-level ads are a real wake up call. I scurried around the 40 foot long Cheeseburger wrapped McDonalds Semi blocking traffic. To reach the parking garage which is emblazoned with ad panels featuring Hollywood’s latest blockbustersm whose superseding short-subject ads are often superior to theaters feature film offerings. Or the video ads that I see in the elevator on the way to the restaurant/bar who’s bathrooms feature all sorts of product promotions on their wall mounted billboard panels. By the time I get home with a late-nite Pizza whose box sports the standard 8 slices and a full-color promo for Bank of America, I have literally been surrounded by a plethora of out-of-home media platforms from morning until dusk.

That my friends is what Non-traditional Outdoor Advertising is all about: reaching targeted niche audiences with unexpected and memorible media platforms.

Which brings me to this years 2008 STAR showcase and the ensuing Media Plan Awards presentation which took place in front of 800 plus attendees at New York’s Javitt’s Center during this September’s Ad Week festivities. The show floor featured the above mentioned mediums and quite a few more including: London Taxi’s, Mobile Billboards, Street Teams, Laser Projection, Mall Panels, Health-Club Panels, Stair Graphics, CarWraps TaxiTops, walking billboards and a plethora of Video generated street furniture, kiosks and pedi-cabs, to name just a few….

To get a better understanding of the importance of the Media Plans Awards, I spoke to Steve Mueller who served as this years Chief judge:

“This is our industry’s ‘Super-Bowl’ for OOH planners and buyers. While going through the process of eveluating so many great plans, I was struck by the dramatic change in plans from, say, only five years ago! Today’s plans not only have great static units but they are ‘laced’ with non-traditional or digital media that augment a traditional plan of olde.

“Campaigns today are challenged with finding ways to intercept consumers while on the move. As planners and buyers of OOH, we now look to products like Segways, Gas TV, Captivate, ATM’s, Grocery Stores to inform consumers about our clients products when going beyond a traditional plan. The OOH world has changes radically in the last few years and the evolution of new products has created excitement and growth for our industry.
“IT IS GOOD TO BE US!”