Not even Covid will stop New Year’s from coming
Who needs to celebrate like it’s 1999 when we can celebrate like it’s the start of 2021? For most of us, it probably can’t happen soon enough
Well just like the Grinch couldn’t stop Christmas, Covid won’t stop us from celebrating New Year’s. And this is especially the case this year in what is arguably the most iconic place to ring in the New Year in America – Times Square. In fact, this year, as we’re still #AllInThisTogether, Times Square may play an even bigger role in everyone’s New Year’s Eve.
And many savvy brands have already figured this out. Brands like Kia, Barefoot Wine and Planet Fitness are already queueing up and turning to Out of Home (OOH) thanks to the iconic Times Square billboards to help get the party started. This is in addition to the brands who maintain a permanent OOH presence in the square knowing that, “what ad goes up in the physical world” quickly goes around in the digital world. I expect that to be amplified this year as those OOH screens in Times Square will provide the familiar backdrop for the New Year’s revelry, we’ll all be enjoying together (safely from our own homes).
As recently reported in Ad Age, Kia is launching its first large-scale New Year’s marketing campaign. The company’s new 2021 Kia Sorento will haul the iconic “2021” sign—which will sit atop One Times Square during the annual ball drop and the brand is activating a regional campaign by making stops at dealerships across the nation. Brands like Kia are also taking advantage of in-show integrations during ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021,” a smart marketing strategy in my view.
So why the rush to Times Square when the number of spectators will be significantly smaller than normal?
The answer is pure 2020 – most of us will be counting down the clock with family at home because there is simply no other place for us to be. In a moment when we have all spent so much time apart from one another, we are all clamoring for ways to be together. Something familiar like watching the ball drop in Times Square is one of those familiar, nostalgic things that fosters a sense of togetherness.
Which means that Ryan Seacrest and his cohorts and all of the brands showcased in Times Square during the night, including Netflix and Calm, may end up having a staggeringly large and captive audience for the ball drop!
But for brands, this moment is about much more than just getting their Times Square billboards airtime on television. Brands are turning to OOH because they know that their spend on OOH amplifies their advertising campaigns across other media – whether it’s via social media engagement or mobile activations that drive a consumer to the point of sale. They also know that thanks to new targeting and attribution technologies, brands can target specific audience segments and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns with great accuracy, all of which adds up to their getting more for their OOH buy.
There’s also something else going on this New Year’s Eve. During this incredibly challenging moment in time that we are all living through, brands recognize the value consumers place on OOH – as one of the most trusted forms of media – as our medium has been so critical to communicating with consumers to stay safe. We’re a brand safe medium that offers advertisers an impactful way to deliver messages that connect with consumers, and, that help them navigate through the changed world around them.
And in a world where we all have to spend so much of our time apart, what is more impactful and positive and exciting than an advertising medium – one that consumers favor because of its infinite creativity and non-disruptive format – that can speak to all of us at once.
OOH brings people together. And whether you’re celebrating in Times Square or celebrating at home this New Year’s Eve, OOH and 2021 go together.