Fake Out of Home Advertising: What is it?

In recent months, large companies have been betting on a type of advertising so amazing that it is difficult to differentiate it from reality. This is a new trend in outdoor advertising: Fake Out of Home Advertising, or FOOH for short. This form of advertising uses film technology to create ads with images so realistic that they defy reality. Read on to find out how these ads are revolutionizing the world of advertising.

What is Fake Out of Home or FOOH?

Fake Out of Home, or FOOH, is an innovative way of advertising. It is the trend of creating cool videos in public spaces, adding something interesting: a very creative touch of animation and special effects. The idea is to show crazy, funny and mind-blowing scenes that look real, but are actually pure creativity and technology. 

FOOH videos are great to gain visibility for your brand. Their goal is to impress people and leave a lasting memory in their mind. 

Although some people confuse FOOH videos with augmented reality and even AI, the technology behind it is not new. It is based on the famous CGI (those computer graphics that we have been seeing in movies for years) that have now been given another twist for advertising.

Why is FOOH so popular?

Fake Out of Home videos go viral easily, because they stand out among the noise of common ads, both because of their content and the way they are published and shared.

Shared through social

FOOH-type videos are posted on social media. Because of this, you will almost always see them in vertical format and they will be somewhat unexpected, because it is very elaborate content compared to most things you see in your feed. Another reason to use social media is that they are the channel with the greatest reach for videos, as they are spaces with features that make it easy to share any content and, according to Hubspot, the majority of content sent by direct messages on social media are videos.

They play with your curiosity

Why is a FOOH video always going to catch your attention? Because they play with your capacity for wonder. In these videos, real scenarios are mixed very well with fantastic elements, just like in a movie. This challenges your perception of reality and forces your brain to take a second look, to overcome the “real vs. imaginary” conflict. Plus, your brain loves to replay something that is fresh and entertaining.

They are immersive content

Most of these videos use the first person perspective or ‘POV’ (Point of view). This is great, because it brings more realism and keeps your curiosity and wonder alive. It gives you the feeling of watching a fantastic and huge scene in the real world, but from common places in your everyday life, like a sidewalk, a window or a car.

Top examples of FOOH campaigns

Fake Out of Home video campaigns break with all the traditional schemes. The rule is to create original and mind-blowing content to connect with the audience.

Here are some examples of successful FOOH campaigns.

1. Lash Sensational Sky High – Maybelline

Maybelline, the cosmetics company, wanted to showcase their product Lash Sensational Sky High and go viral with the message, “elevate your lashes to new heights with great length and volume.” To achieve this, they made this very funny FOOH video in the New York subway and also with one of the traditional London buses.

2. Barbie – Eye Studio

Although it wasn’t part of Mattel’s or the Barbie movie team’s strategies, this FOOH video of Barbie next to the Burj Khalifa was a bet that went viral on social media for being something “out of the box”. The announcement added to the wave of expectation generated by the Barbie movie, making it a success.

3. Infallible Matte Resistance – L’Oreal

L’Oreal, another cosmetics giant, used a Fake Out of Home to promote Infallible Matte Resistance, their new liquid lipstick. They did so by painting the streets of Paris red with this video that caused a sensation by inviting its audience to go for a bold look.

4. Griselda – Netflix

Another FOOH campaign that caused a lot of talk in France was the one Netflix created to promote their series “Griselda”, based on the life of the famous drug dealer Griselda Blanco. Although the red N usually succeeds with its bold creativity, this video generated so much controversy that they decided to delete it.

5. This is living – Cerveza Corona

Nothing better for a campaign called “this is living” than to show the irresistible image of a hammock. That’s what Corona did in Peru, but on a colossal level, with a FOOH video in Lima. The reaction from the incredulous public was such that, during the campaign, the hashtag #Hamacagigante climbed to the 3rd position on Twitter (X) in Peru.

6. Bon Yurt – Alpina

In Colombia, Alpina took its flagship product, Bon Yurt, through the roof with this Fake Out of Home that made many people crave one. The video achieved more than 4 million views on social media in just 24 hours.

Advantages of integrating FOOH in marketing strategies

1. Get great reach on social media

Fake Out of Home videos are often so amazing and creative that people love to share them, even if it’s just to pique the curiosity of others. This makes these contents have a much wider reach than the organic audience they are initially targeting.

2. Improves engagement and recall

People love Fake Out Home because, even though it’s all staged, the scenes look so real that they leave you thinking, “Did that really happen?”. That confusion, so intriguing, leaves you with the image well etched in your memory.

3. High ROI and cost-effectiveness

Although these videos may seem very elaborate, they do not necessarily have production costs as high as traditional advertising. In addition, as they are potentially viral, the benefits due to the large reach are much greater. Therefore, it is an attractive option for both large and small brands.

The future of FOOH

With its effectiveness in breaking through the saturation of content on social media, FOOH has shown that the future of advertising goes hand in hand with digital technology. Although for now this technology is within the reach of big brands, it is very likely that it will continue to grow and become more accessible with the development of generative artificial intelligence. This could cement FOOH as the foundation of new advertising formats, both for today’s internet and tomorrow’s extended realities.

Hey! Everything is better with help

Do you do video marketing or are you planning to start with your strategies? We invite you to get to know us. We are Kuna 360 a brand by Perspektiva 360 and the most spectacular solution for your video marketing. Whether you have videos or not, we help you to create all the content you need to launch your strategy in all your channels and formats, using digital technology that makes your life easier.