Judging Panel Announced for Ocean Outdoor's Annual Digital Creative Competition

A panel of 18 expert judges are seeking bold, original ideas in Ocean Outdoor’s annual search for the best digital out-of-home (DOOH) creative concepts in the UK.

Brands, agencies and creative teams have until September 10th to enter the 12th annual Digital Creative Competition, presented in association with Campaign.

Concepts that raise the bar in DOOH advertising will share a £500,000 prize fund and the chance for those campaigns to be showcased across Ocean’s multiple environments and iconic digital formats in cities across the UK.

On the judging panel are Rowena Williams, head of UK brand campaigns at HSBC; Susie Thompson, media and communications director of Coty UK; Tom Whiteside, UK sponsorship lead at Toyota (GB); Jo Wallace, creative director of Wunderman Thompson; Engine CEO (Creative) Ete Davies; Matt Goff, CEO of Adam&EveDDB; Jim Dyer, product marketing manager, SEGA; and Andrew Warren, managing partner of Feref.

Also joining the judges this year are: Chris Kenna, founder of Brand Advance; OMD’s chief planning officer Vicky Fox; Gill Reid – partner, head of out of home at Mediacom; and Tom Wilkinson, strategy partner at Spark Foundry.

Completing the line-up are James Copley, UK CEO of Talon; Chris Daines, managing director, media investment, Dentsu UK; Chris Marjoram, managing director UK and Europe, Rapport; Alistair MacCallum, CEO UK, Kinetic; Landsec commercial media director Derek Manns; and Chris Lynham, UK/Europe head of media and client operations at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

This year there are two award categories – one for brands and another for charities.

Ocean head of marketing and events Helen Haines said: “This year’s competition is a chance to celebrate the evolution of DOOH and its power as a channel to prime and amplify other media. To help us do this, we have called upon some of the best creative minds who understand how technology and content engages with audiences in imaginative and immediate ways.”

The competition winners will appear on Ocean’s premium full motion DOOH platform in multiple retail and city environments including Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City and Canary Wharf.

Other stand-out UK wide digital formats include The Grid which covers 10 UK cities, The Loop networks in Manchester and Birmingham city centres and the XL roadside network which covers key commuter cities.

The competition also gives agencies and creatives the chance to secure a slot on the prestigious Piccadilly Lights in London, operated by Ocean on behalf of Landsec.

Previous winners of Ocean’s digital creative competition have gone on to win five prestigious Cannes Lions, including a silver Outdoor Lions this year for The Old Piccadilly Lights which was created by Anomaly for Ancestry.

It is free to enter and the winners will be announced at a prestigious industry awards ceremony in London on Thursday, October 14th.

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