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.

Marketing Society of Rwanda joins the African Marketing Confederation

Its aims include developing professional standards and creating opportunities for Rwandan marketers to learn and network.

Trevor Noah in the new tourism campaign

SA tourism destination marketing campaign brings back Trevor Noah

Latest campaign aims to boost international arrivals while highlighting tourism’s contribution to South Africa’s economy and job creation.

Changan auto brand enters Ethiopian market with first dealership

Fast-growing middle class and promotion of electric vehicle adoption presents ‘substantial growth opportunities’ for Chinese brand.

Portrait of a middle-aged man in a black suit and gold-and-black striped tie, looking at the camera against a white background.

MAZ’s 2026 Marketing Week engages local marketers on key topics

Week of activities and events creates opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and hearing insights from industry experts.

Desk with a computer monitor showing an orange bar chart labeled 'Advertising Today', plus keyboard, mouse, and glasses on a blue magazine.

Memorable visuals in ads are more likely to lead to purchase – study

Research suggests that attention-grabbing campaigns may need to be paired with memorable visual design to influence buying decisions.

Busy port with cranes, warehouses, and a red training ship docked at the quay; city and hills in the background.

Underperforming Port of Cape Town seeks a private sector boost

Cape Town’s port must be a competitive advantage rather than a bottleneck that constrains trade, investment and supply chains.

Ricardo Valente Da Conceicao

H&M makes senior leadership appointment for South African market

Experienced retail executive Ricardo Valente Da Conceicao returns to Africa as GM, bringing expertise gained in various overseas markets.

Exterior of a BIM store with red signage and blue-framed windows, parked cars in front on a wet lot.

Turkish supermarket group BIM hits 1,000-store landmark in Morocco

Local consumers are proving receptive to BIM’s private-label goods and hard-discount model as they struggle with inflationary pressure.

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.

owlmediaweb@gmail.com