Rail Ad Campaign Uses Real-Time Data To Target Traffic-Jammed UK Motorists

January 31, 2017 by Dave Haynes

Via Campaign Live

Here’s a good, relatively simple example of using live data to trigger relevant digital content on digital displays – in this case, cheeky messages to motorists stuck in traffic.

Virgin Trains worked with agencies and several OOH media companies on a cross-platform campaign in Leeds and Newcastle, in the U.K., that took traffic data and camera-based pattern recognition to send out timely or personalized messages to drivers. The core intent was to suggest to motorists they could dodge hours of misery and head south to London by train.

As CampaignLive reports, one such message was: “Hey silver Ford driver, stop seeing red. Don’t get cross on the roads. Newcastle to London 3 hours 7 mins.”

The DOOH campaign is a collaboration between Virgin Trains, Krow, Manning Gottlieb OMD, Talon, Grand Visual, Ocean Outdoor, City Outdoor and 8 Outdoor. The digital OOH ads are part of a broader campaign on TV, digital, OOH, print and radio.

The data thing likely seems exotic, but would be relatively simple if the data is available and reliably structured.

  1. Jeremy Gavin says:

    We’ve done a number of projects like this for clients including providing just the traffic data or providing dynamic creative based on traffic conditions. You are right Dave, it is simple. We offer standardized traffic data across North America and Europe to do just this type of thing.

    Other use cases include showing weather in your location and a travel destination to change the message based on the weather, showing different messages based on the local team winning or losing a game, or if the stock market is up or down.

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