oOh!Media unveiled an impressive slew of wins, network expansions, new formats, and refreshed positioning at the Outfront ’25 event at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal this week, claiming itself as “Australia’s #1 out-of-home company.”
More than 400 media buyers and agency executives attended the event to hear about the OOH company’s outlook on the trends and challenges that will shape the industry in the year ahead.
Among those who attended were Natalie Modderno from OMD Sydney, Daniel Cutrone from Avenue C, Lauren Bauer from This is Flow, Kevin Fernandes from Havas Media Network and Tom Carlon, senior trading director at UM. They shared their thoughts on oOh!Media’s offerings and innovations in the year ahead.
Cathy O’Connor
Natalie Modderno, OMD Sydney’s head of investment, said the event outdoor media company showcased a “bold vision for 2025” to empower advertisers with “tools to engage audiences at scale and deliver measurable results.”
oOh!Media revealed its retail media arm was being rebranded to reo to reflect the strategic shift from in-store screens focus to a full omnichannel digital offering for retailers.
The new strategy aims to place reo as a complete end-to-end sales solution, building sales teams to help retailers monetise their media channels.
Modderno noted that the success of the evolution of reo will be in the “robust measurement of business outcomes.”
“oOh! will need to compete with established partners, so the question will be how they can de-risk this for advertisers who not only have well-established retail media partnerships but, in this economic climate, prove that shifting ad dollars to oOh!’s retail media offering will deliver incrementality.
“If oOh!media can prove REO’s impact, it will solidify its position as a leader in retail media strategy, enabling cohesive omnichannel campaigns and tapping into the growing retail media market.
Natalie Modderno
Modderno also highlighted the OOH company’s focus on 3D anamorphic formats, which was enhanced by POLY’s faux-out-of-home digital offering. She noted that this will “enable advertisers the chance to create more immersive and engaging OOH experiences that build brand fame.”
“Given the market we are operating in with decreasing consumer trust and brand sentiment – having opportunities for creativity gives brands greater opportunity to stand out, creating talkability and better storytelling across channels.
“However, with the premium required for these formats, demonstrating the effectiveness will be key to securing better uptake by advertisers.”
“Overall, oOh!media’s 2025 Outfronts signal a strong commitment to driving innovation and delivering competitive advantages in a rapidly evolving media landscape,” Modderno added.
Daniel Cutrone, Avenue C’s managing partner, media, said: “oOh! Media threw down the gauntlet this evening, presenting a formidable proposal to the market achieving scale, innovation, and effectiveness.
“The recent acquisition of two new Sydney street furniture council contracts (Waverly & North Beaches) represent a strategic expansion of their premium network, further enhancing the already robust “commuter” portfolio which includes Woollahra and key metro stations in Sydney & Melbourne.
Daniel Cutrone
“With no dates of transition mentioned, it may be some time before this becomes in effect. But one thing is for sure, the street furniture dynamic is about to be turned upside down across Sydney and Melbourne.
“oOh! Media will be able to reach 98% of audiences and boast a 13% efficiency delivered by their scale – an attempt to secure more deals in market. With greater measurement capabilities, a focus on AI improved trading, targeting resources and creative optimisation – they are best positioned to fly this flag.
“With a ‘shift to outcomes’, I will be extremely interested if oOh! Media becomes the first OOH vendor to move to outcome-based trading, a move which many advertisers would be eager to explore and activate within this current market.”
For This is Flow’s business director, Lauren Bauer, her interest was piqued at oOh!’s focus on new to market tenders, capturing clear space and defending its position as the biggest OOH provider.
She noted that oOh!Media’s investment in growing their networking through winning new tenders in Melbourne and Sydney, particularly with the recent wins of the high-earning postcodes of Waverly and Northern Beaches councils.
“The digitisation of these networks, as well as initiatives like eco living roofs on shelters, will be a welcomed addition to postcodes which have historically lacked impactful OOH coverage. Particularly appealing for clients who are going after that higher income audience with the ease of a digital network.
“After the rollout of (the majority) the Sydney metro contract, oOh! have turned their sights to essentially the Melbourne equivalent – a smart move to drive reach and simplify the network across the biggest states.
Lauren Bauer
”This really cements the move to go after new assets, and new environments, adding yet another format to the mix to assert dominance in the Sydney market and combat JCD’s hold on the train & bus contracts.”
Bauer highlighted oOh!’s roll out of the 3D anamorphic capability which she said is a “win for the industry as 3D spills into rail, office, university and more.”
“I’m most interested to see if they will launch production support arm alongside, as we still see this being the biggest barrier to entry with clients.”
Bauer continued: “oOh! are looking to defend their slice of the retail pie, with a further 200 buying segments fuelled by Unpacked (Flybys) & Westpac data. No real surprise here, with increased competition in the retail space with players such as Cartology and their ComBank iQ offering which was announced in July.”
Kevin Fernandes, Havas Media Network’s national head of partnerships and AdTech, told Mediaweek: “oOh!Media’s ambition is to remain unmissable and lead the charge in a rapidly changing advertising landscape.”
He noted the OOH company’s event highlighted five key trends set to define its future:
1. Power of Scale: oOh!media continues to expand its footprint and influence across Australia. With 80% wins in new business, key achievements include securing the Waverley contract in Sydney and increasing their Melbourne presence by 50% with new sites along the East Link and Metro Tunnel. This growth provides advertisers with more options and greater efficiency in reaching diverse audiences across the country.
2. Rise of Retail: As consumer spending in retail environments remains strong, oOh!media is capitalising on high footfall locations. With access to over 200 retail networks globally, the company is advancing its initiative to fully monetise these retail environments, ensuring maximum exposure and engagement for brands where consumer attention is highest.
3. Fragmentation of Audiences: In response to increasingly fragmented audiences, oOh!media is deploying a variety of innovative strategies to capture consumer attention. High-impact sites, dynamic creative optimisation (DCO), and advanced formats, such as 3D displays on 4K screens, are at the forefront of this effort. 41% of potential ROI comes from the creative. Campaigns like Uber’s “Get Almost Almost Anything” exemplify how creativity can cut through the noise in a crowded media landscape.
Kevin Fernandes
4. AI & Innovation: oOh!media is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance every stage of the campaign process. From planning and execution to moderation and optimisation, AI is making campaigns faster, smarter, and more efficient. This technological advancement ensures that brands receive maximum return on investment with minimal waste. Brands that use multiple formats see 16% uplift in customer conversion.
5. Shift to Outcome-Based Advertising: oOh!media is focusing on delivering measurable results, aligning with advertisers’ increasing demand for outcome-based advertising. Through collaborations with Flybuys and Westpac, they are proving their ability to drive product sales, increase purchase frequency, and measure promotional impact effectively.
“As the company continues to evolve and adapt to new market dynamics, it remains committed to providing unmatched visibility and impact for advertisers,” Fernandes added.
UM senior trading director, Tom Carlon, applauded oOh!Media for kicking off its 2025 Outfronts in style with the launch of its new brand positioning, ‘Behind every great brand’, which he said gives “every marketer the opportunity to target consumers across oOh!’s un-missable and un-blockable inventory.”
“The evening comprised five key media mega trends however the big news came from the new tenders won, including: Waverley Council, Northern Beaches Council, Melbourne Eastlink and the soon-to-open Melbourne Metro Trains. Capping off a big year across the OOH sector, the new wins were welcomed off the back of recent losses across 2024 in both Mirvac and Stocklands tenders.
Tom Carlon
“oOh!’s retail coverage was also addressed on the night staking claim to the number one retail provider in both scale and footfall, whilst revealing a renewed focus on the retail media sector with end-to-end media solutions, helping retailers better monetise their assets.
Carlon said that while oOh! was the first partner off the rank, the OOH company had first dibs at both AI and outcome solution media, which he said are “potentially two hot topics we are likely to see more of throughout upfronts season.”
“As we move into 2025, I anticipate the use of AI and requirement to create efficiencies to increase dramatically, whilst advertisers continue down the road of optimising channel and partner spends based upon outcomes,” he added.
–
Top image, left to right: Natalie Modderno, Daniel Cutrone, Lauren Bauer and Kevin Fernandes