Never Tech Over Idea.

Remember the debate about Fake Out Of Home?

Some where outraged, others cheered it on as a "game changer" (that expression should possibly be put to rest by the way) while some where more balanced and relaxed, pointing to the core attributes of OOH.

For a while you would be hit with new CGI videos on LinkedIn several times a day. How many do you see now during an average week?

Today with water under the bridge it is easer to see that this would be a buzz worthy thing that eventually would settle in among the other tools at disposal.

Reasons being that very few if any of these stunts spoke about the brand's greater truth, didn't have a great idea and essentially didn't leverage the authenticity that real world Out Of Home advertising has at the core. It was tech over idea.

Authenticity. Early on - when there wasn't transparency about the ad using fake elements - it diminished the brand’s credibility instead of enhancing it. Treating the audience with respect is always smart. The CGI ads of late are more open about added fake layers to OOH locations. These ads still miss the mark because unlike a great creative D/OOH execution that get's engaged with, shared and remembered they don't have that awe creating magic that builds "I experienced this live - check it out". Most of the CGI ads have been a passive experience at best.

These ads may go viral for a few days but rarely leave a lasting impression. Without a real-world presence, the buzz dies quickly, offering little long-term brand recall.

What has happened is saturation. The more you saw brands using CGI for OOH stunts, the novelty wore off, and the audience grew indifferent. Without real-world execution, the concept became repetitive and lost effectiveness.

Never tech over idea.