Campaigns

Ocean Outdoor and Manchester City Council reinvent Chester Road Roundabout

Hiscox and EE are the launch partners

Published

February 26, 2026

One of Out of Home’s original ‘Ask for it by name’ landmarks, Chester Road Roundabout has been reimagined by Ocean Outdoor in partnership with Manchester City Council.

Sitting at the intersection of four major arterials which meet at one of the city’s busiest roundabouts, Chester Road has been reconfigured with a trio of roadside screens designed to target the 100,000 motorists travelling daily in and out of Manchester.

Chester Road launches on 26th February with campaigns from insurance provider Hiscox and the mobile network operator EE. Both were planned through Posterscope working with WPP Open Connect (EE) and Media Plus (Hiscox).

An advertising structure has been in situ at Chester Road for almost 25 years, the prime location listed by the Guardian back in 2007 in its selection of Britain’s “most asked for” outdoor sites, alongside Piccadilly Lights and BFI IMAX.

The upgrade from four backlight 96 sheets to a more environmentally friendly scheme includes a portrait tower, a landscape screen and a digital 48 sheet. The scheme has been designed in collaboration with the world renowned Manchester based architects SimpsonHaugh, and is positioned and assisted by ambient controls to mitigate any potential light spill or impact on residents in the neighbourhood.

The screens will carry commercial content along with public messaging tailored according to daypart, local weather and traffic conditions, reaching commuters, visitors and sports fans travelling to and from Old Trafford. Ocean’s Vehicle React Technology which triggers in real time, dynamic messages based on vehicle criteria such as make, model or fuel type, will be installed at a later date.

Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw said: “With more than 62 square metres of prime advertising space at a famous intersection accommodating a huge volume of traffic, Manchester City Council’s investment secures Chester Road’s position as an ‘Ask for it by name’ outdoor original.”

Ocean renewed its long term large format OOH contract with Manchester City Council last year. The contract also covers 16 existing screens including Two Towers Manchester, the Digi- Bridge on Mancunian Way and Princess Road. Ocean operates the DOOH contracts for Manchester Arndale, Spinningfields, St John’s, and Printworks Manchester which is home to Printworks SkyLights, Europe’s biggest digital ceiling.