Ocean Outdoor invites agencies to race across UK

Fifteen agencies will compete to become the fastest team to solve a series of clues and win a race across the nation in a 48 hour cross country sprint hosted by Ocean Outdoor. 

Using any route they like and working without the aid of smartphones or the internet, 15 teams of two will take on the challenge, armed with just a paper map and survival pack to find seven mystery Digital Out of Home (DOOH) checkpoints around the country.  

The starting point will be Landsec’s The Venue in Piccadilly Circus London on 25th June, with a grand race countdown on Piccadilly Lights. From there, the players will head north in a bid to reach Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle before crossing the border towards Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

Travel budgets will be limited, although overnight accommodation will be provided. Any mode of transport apart from air travel or vehicle hire is allowed, with bonus points for those using the most sustainable methods.  

To successfully complete the challenge, each pair will need to upload a photograph of themselves to the large format screen at each manned check point, before heading for the finish line at Radisson RED Hotel Glasgow where the winning agency will be revealed. The team that visits the most screens in the fastest time will win.  

The race is an extension of The Great Adventure, a series of personalised destination tours for agencies, planners and clients which go far beyond the screens. Each city experience combines expert on the ground knowledge with tailored insights about OOH audiences, the technology, and long term impacts.   

Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw said: “One thing we wholeheartedly believe is that truly great DOOH campaigns are planned on the street. Nothing will ever beat experiencing how the medium engages with consumers, experiencing the environment, and feeling the nuances of each screen in its location. 

“Our challenge is a chance for everyone to swap spreadsheets for the actual streets, putting their planning skills to the test. The travel budget will be tight, so our contestants will need to get very creative. They’ll also need an ability to read an old fashioned map, and a canny sense of direction. May the best team win.”