Rick Robinson’s Opening Remarks from the 2023 OAAA OBIE Awards
Nashville, TN
The Evening of March 28, 2023
OOH is real media for real people.
And in 2023 we have seen the return of the big idea.
The one-to-many experiences - the OOH experiences that we deliver out there in the world - every day - those experiences are what make - brands - famous!
And this happens locally - for sole proprietorships and family businesses, regionally - for QSR’s, healthcare, travel & tourism and many other categories - and nationally - for major US & Global brands.
All of it - All of it brought to life across dozens of standard formats - and an almost unlimited variety of custom shapes.
Whether it’s a surgically targeted, data-informed statement that’s laser-focused, delivered with speed & precision, down to a street corner - or, blanket coverage of a total market with heavy reach & frequency, or, a massive statement on an epic wall -
OOH is always a unique, resonating, human experience.
It’s real media reaching real people.
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The traction this gets - the connection this provides to our audiences - has been talked about by many fans of our industry.
Tiffany Rolfe, former Chief OBIE Judge and Global Chief Creative Officer at R/GA calls OOH “A Way In” - A way to reach people while everyone is watching and engage them one-on-one.
Leslie Wingo, President & CEO of Sanders/Wingo in Austin and former OBIE judge - she says people want two things in life: “They want to feel safe and they want to know they count. Great OOH lets them know they count”
And this year’s Chief OBIE Judge, Gabriel Schmitt, tells us great work “takes risks beyond the basics - creating messages that make people look up - and feel something.”
All three are talking about rewarding people for their attention - about messages that add to The People’s Space.
When OOH creative delivers something useful - giving us extra time, making it fun or saving us money. When that happens, we’ll stop - and we’ll absorb the message. And it will stay with us. It will stay with us…
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So let’s talk about this year’s finalists. They brought a very strong and balanced mix of classic OOH (just plain great billboard advertising) and the innovative use of many other formats - transit, digital, interactive and tech tactics. You’ll see a refreshing return of humor - with teaser and reveal motifs - and a willingness to break away from categorical norms. There were surprising and playful integrations of context - and the extra investment in ideas was evident everywhere - from raw materials to 3D video, projections, embellishments, special lighting, stunning photography, and live social feeds.
You know - it’s just this simple: Creating OBIE worthy OOH is borne by a fearless commitment to one strong idea - crafted with just a few bold elements. It requires an unshakable confidence, and a willingness to get vulnerable. And that construct, that model, that truth - is as valid and legit as ever.
Brands investing in OOH are making a claim in public, in front of the world, in the largest way possible. There’s nowhere to hide. It’s not fleeting. Classic, painted, projected or digital - the impact of OOH is visceral and lasting - good or bad - for everyone out there to see.
This is why we celebrate great work!!
This is why we are here tonight!!
Welcome to the 2023 OBIE Awards!!
