Ocean Outdoor launches 2025 Digital Creative Competition across Europe

Ocean Outdoor has today (April 1) opened its annual Digital Creative Competition in the UK, the Nordics, Netherlands and Germany for entries. 

Now in its 16th year in the UK, and fifth year across the other Group countries, Ocean’s competition calls for original ideas and imaginative concepts which push the creative possibilities of Digital Out of Home (DOOH), using the latest technology and techniques across premium formats and outdoor environments. 

Campaigns from previous winners have gone on to win several Cannes Lions and collected many other international awards. 

• The 2025 competitions open on 1 April. The closing date is 29 August 
• Entries for all seven competitions in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK will be judged in their countries by expert independent juries 
• The winners will be announced simultaneously at six industry events on 16 October 

The 13 commercial and non-profit Gold prize winners from each territory will then go forward to compete for the Grand Prix, an incremental prize which will be announced in January 2026. The Grand Prix winners are awarded space on premium screens across all seven Ocean countries, creating a global platform. 

Last year’s inaugural Grand Prix was awarded to McVitie’s and To Boldly Go. Their European campaign is due to go live at the end of April. Ocean Studio will film it, creating an asset to share across the winners’ owned digital and social channels. 

Helen Haines, Ocean Group director of strategic projects, said: “Ocean’s competition is different from other awards because it pioneers creative ideas that are yet to happen, fostering original concepts and elevating DOOH as a brand building channel and the gateway to global success. 

“DOOH continues to evolve. A combination of better screens, new formats, clever technology and audience data provides even greater opportunities for brands, agencies and creatives to create spectacular work. In a world of data led targeting and suboptimal advertising, delivering creative work which is seen and remembered well beyond the physical realm has never been so important.” 

All you need is an idea 

This year there are two award categories for commercial brands and non-profits. The competitions are all free to enter. Prizes will be awarded to the top three ideas in each category. The winning concepts will be given airtime on Ocean’s network of DOOH screens in their country of entry, sharing prize pots of £500,000. 

For Swedish entrants there is an additional category seeking entries designed for The Halo, part of Westfield Mall of Scandinavia. Norway and Sweden also offer a schools’ competition. 

To keep the process simple, entries should combine jpeg images or a short video with a written narrative of 200 words. 

The Grand Prix will be judged by an independent European panel of experts in November. 

To find out more visit https://oceanoutdoor.com/digital-competition/how-to-enter/? 

16 years of the Digital Creative Competition 

• 2010 – Ocean launches the competition in the UK in association with Westfield London 
• 2021 – the competition is extended to the Nordics and the Netherlands 
• 2025 – the competition is extended to Ocean Germany 
• More than 2,000 entries received so far 
• 100 competition winners to date 
• Over £10 million invested via Ocean advertising space 
• 450 influential judges convened