OOH Uncut Podcast: Chaucer Barnes
Chaucer Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer, Translation + UnitedMasters, joins host Rick Robinson, CEO, PJX Media, on OOH Uncut, the podcast featuring thought leaders in the Out of Home media world.
July 24, 2023
Chaucer Barnes Discussion on OOH Uncut Podcast with Rick Robinson
Rick Robinson: Hello everybody. Rick Robinson here, with PJX Media, and I'm with Chaucer Barnes, he's the Chief Marketing Officer of United Masters and Translation. Chaucer, say hello to everyone.
Chaucer Barnes: Hello to everyone.
Rick Robinson: And we're so happy to have you. I want to ask you this question. What can out of home do that no other media does?
Chaucer Barnes: Uh, well, first and foremost. Thanks for having me. I know, I know this is burning time, but I'm, you know, I'm Southern. So, thanks you,…
Rick Robinson: You're welcome.
Chaucer Barnes: I'm so grateful. You you asked me this because with 30 minutes to think about it, because I really did and I realized I had a couple dead ends in my thinking. At first I was thinking about things, the Out-home could do that, I thought nothing else could do it anymore. I thought about, I was like, yeah, everything and banners can do this. And video can do that these other things, but here's where I've landed. I think out of home is the only medium that can earn its right so profoundly that people mourn its loss or sometimes even reject the loss of the creative payload that's in it. And I think it's the only one that can inspire people to take it down. at least only medium that in that interacts with the public so much that have become a touchstone that they'll defend as well as you know, an aggravation that they'll erase I don't know any other advertising medium that behaves that way.
Rick Robinson: so you're speaking to like a deeply, visceral response, All right.
Chaucer Barnes: Yeah. And look, it's it. That doesn't mean everything that ever goes on a billboard, is that,…but I think it at the at the absolute extremes of great creative in the world. I think that's what you get on one end. It's a, it's a, it's a treasured mural, right? That people refuse to let go of And on the other end, it's something that they'll You know, string a rope around and topple or burn to the ground.
Rick Robinson: All right, so let's talk about the former when you say refuse to let go of or more in the loss of, can you tell me more, expand on that.
Chaucer Barnes: Well, yeah, I think, well, first and foremost that, you know, I live in Brooklyn, and I think you and I have talked about this, but maybe you have new listeners, don't know the story. But I remember working with the Brooklyn Nets, at one point to save a mural for the notorious b.i.g and it was this moment where the community was outraged, that this mural was imperiled and even though it had only been up, I mean, look, how long is the guy been passed, right? Like maybe 15 years but it, but it had become a symbol of, let's call it the old neighborhood. And the, and the cut stone that were important to the old neighborhood. And the idea that progress was going to wipe this artifact away was unacceptable to so many people. And so on their hue and cry, ultimately, became the thing that the brand responded to and in the mere act of preserving this this mural this piece of out of home became this this brand act, this highly celebrated brand act. And so I draw from that and I think about you know there's like there's iconic out of home. That actually moves through rotate like ad units as well. That become touchstones for people whether they're in the payload or somebody else they know is in the payload or they just remember it from. I mean think about the The Smoke and Marlboro, Man, and Seinfeld. And When Kramer, but it's to be the marlboro man, right? That's going on all the time, I think in the out of home environment and Whether? You know, out of home is one of these is this. Other medium that can really photobomb your memories. It gives this real sense of place and…
Rick Robinson: Mm-hmm.
Chaucer Barnes: so, you know, in a picture prone society. I think people Come to. Admire respect. Remember and ultimately find comfort in certain payloads and out of home. and then likewise, you know, if they hate The message or they feel like it is somehow lost its right to be, they'll on the other end in the spectrum. Again, pull it down, burn it down, mark it up.
Rick Robinson: Yeah. Cover it or…
Chaucer Barnes: A cup.
Rick Robinson: just not look at it right?
Chaucer Barnes: Yeah. I don't…
Rick Robinson: Just not let it in. You know, it's interest.
Chaucer Barnes: I don't know, I don't know. Anybody cannot let it in. On some level it's it's in there, but I think I think people's ability to ignore it. Puts it in the middle. Of the spectrum and there. And I think that's more like other media than not.
Rick Robinson: well, to look away means you had to have seen it first, but and it's interesting in previous guests said that Other media sometimes can be in the way and out of home provides this way in because they're serendipity, When you run across it out on the street, you know, there's this moment of discovery and surprise and maybe maybe that's what leads to the photo bomb, but we're gonna call it a rap. And I want to just reiterate some things you said here because this speaks so much to what United Masters and Translation is all about which is this deep cultural resonance and I love the phrase, photobomb the payload There, there was this like memory bank that happens when people see it and it stays with them and that's what out of home does more than anybody else any other medium and that's why it's so visceral and response either. I love it and celebrate it. I want to remove it from the landscape. So
Thank you very much Chaucer. Have an awesome day.
Chaucer Barnes: Thank you.
Rick Robinson: Take care of yourself.
Chaucer Barnes: You too brother. Bye everybody.
