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.

Two magazines titled Strategic Marketing Africa and Traceability on a green background.

Current issue of AMC magazine brings critical insights for marketers

Issue 1 2026 of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine for deep-thinking African marketing professionals, highlights key trends.

Two adults in business attire stand on a soccer field, holding a maroon jersey that reads 'Visit Rwanda'.

Visit Rwanda announces partnership with Aston Villa Football Club

Rwanda’s tourism marketing arm signs agreement to be the English club’s main shirt sponsor after deal with Arsenal FC ends.

Close-up of two people shaking hands in a business context.

Africa declares a new standard for its communications profession

For too long, the PR landscape has had no shared standard for who practises in it or what responsibility they carry, founders say.

Woman in a plaid jacket waves at a smartphone on a tripod while filming in a bright kitchen with food on the table behind her

Researchers find a new way to enhance social media influencer messaging

By carefully selecting followers to engage with an influencer’s post, marketers can significantly increase the post’s spread.

Beige off-road pickup truck parked on a dirt trail with rocky hills and pine trees in the background

Watchdog instructs auto brand to remove or amend TV ad campaign

SA’s Advertising Regulatory Board finds Kia advertisement could be offensive to people with certain health disorders.

Person wearing blue over-ear headphones at a desk with multiple monitors showing digital graphics, focused on work.

The gap between AI’s efficiency promises and marketing reality

Global study finds AI is helping marketers produce more – but is not creating the time and creative space they expected.

Aerial view of a coastal city with tall skyscrapers, dense low-rise blocks, and a distant shoreline on the horizon.

Number of African megacities to increase from three to 17 by 2050

Urban Africa will double its footprint, adding the equivalent of more than 4,000 Manhattans or almost 400 Singapores, The Economist reports.

Portrait of a smiling older man with gray hair and rectangular glasses wearing a white shirt, facing the camera.

Nigeria’s Hyper City appoints CEO with strong Carrefour background

Luc Demez brings experience from Europe and African countries as the Carrefour brand looks to expand into Nigeria with a local partner.

Smiling woman in a lime green tank top pushes a shopping cart down a grocery store aisle.

Cracking the Africa Code: The functional path to market leadership

What makes brands successful in Africa? A summary of the award-winning paper presented at Esomar’s first conference in Africa.

Cartoon smartphone wearing a chef’s hat, displaying a recipe card with a plate of food and the word RECIPES on an orange background.

‘What’s for dinner tonight, mom?’ Woolies’ AI chef may have the answer

Woolworths supermarket chain embraces an AI-powered chef as it leverages two decades of recipes to answer an age-old family question.

White athletic sneakers resting on a basketball on a dirt path with autumn leaves in the background.

Demand for sportswear is sprinting ahead of the wider apparel market

Consumers are prioritising their wellness despite tighter wallets, meaning sportswear remains one of the most resilient areas of fashion.

owlmediaweb@gmail.com