OOH ADVERTISING

WhatsApp’s innovative billboard activation highlights key features

By our News Team | 2022

Prime Piccadilly Circus site in central London has been chosen by the platform to push its brand story and engage consumers.

Along with Times Square in New York and Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, London’s Piccadilly Circus is one of the world’s prime sites for out-of-home (OOH) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising.

Little wonder, when you consider that by some estimates Piccadilly Circus has around 100-million people passing through this famous intersection each year. Many are wealthy locals, while others are well-heeled foreign visitors out to see the sights of the British capital.

Photo credit: Supplied

Renting the high-profile digital billboards – there have been billboards on the site since 1908 – can set you back US$6-million a year, according to some industry sources.

One of the current OOH activations that is catching people’s attention at Piccadilly Circus is a 3D billboard ad for WhatsApp, which is being described by some marketing industry media outlets as “mind-bending”.

Promotes WhatsApp’s revamped privacy and safety features

It promotes the social media platform’s revamped privacy and safety features, as well as its messaging service.

“Following the introduction of three new features on WhatsApp, this campaign shows how WhatsApp’s features provide interlocking layers of protection and give users full control over the level of privacy they are seeking,” its Global Head of Brand, Vivian Odior said.

“With both outdoor and digital placements, we want to highlight the closeness that’s possible on WhatsApp when you can message confidently and worry-free in a secure space.”

Among the new innovations on WhatsApp that are being graphically illustrated to passers-by are: the ability to make once-off messages ‘disappear’ and with no capability for recipients to screenshot them; updated security features; and a reminder that messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning no third parties will be aware of them.

You can see the Piccadilly Circus OOH activation here.

The Meta-owned firm has also ‘taken over’ live streaming platform Twitch and online game Roblox in a series of week-long activations to mark the culmination of its long-running promotional push.

Woman at a podium giving a talk avani sign backdrop with african marketing confederation logos large blue conference slide screen behind her

World Marketing Council takes its first steps on the global stage

First Vice President outlines vision to champion professional excellence, ethical practice and innovation in marketing worldwide.

Group of people at a celebration raising a trophy together on a stage ceremony

AMC confirms Ethiopia will be the host of the 2027 conference

Zambian organisers of the 2026 gathering officially hand over the baton to an ecstatic Ethiopian delegation. Rwanda to host in 2028.

Conference hall stage with a man in a blue suit speaking at a podium on a large screen ticon africa banner visible'shaping the future of ict in africa'

Landmark gathering gets underway with delegates from over 30 countries

Opening plenary hears that securing Africa’s economic future requires businesses to discover new customers and cross-border opportunities.

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.