It began as a bold idea from DOOH.co.za – South Africa’s out-of-home (OOH) news and industry platform – to remind the world that before hashtags, filters, and sponsored content, there was OOH: the original influencer. Months later, the OG Influencer has done precisely that – sparked conversation, turned heads and reignited pride in the billboard’s power.
Driven by DOOH.co.za, co-managed and edited by Kirsty Carlson of Synapse Media and Livia Brown of what3things, The OG Influencer set out to give billboards a voice, one that could speak for an entire industry.
What started as a campaign quickly became a movement, with the industry, media and the public re-engaging with the magic and relevance of OOH.
From highways to headlines, The OG Influencer made its presence felt everywhere. With cheeky lines like ‘No one throws shade like me’ and ‘Make Everything Outdoor’, it reminded South Africans that OOH has always shaped culture, long before digital feeds took over.
OG Influencer at MOST Awards
The billboard didn’t just stay in its lane either. It showed up – quite literally – at two of the country’s most significant creative events: The Loeries and The MOST Awards.
At The Loeries, ‘Make Everything Outdoor’ stickers appeared throughout the venue, even finding their way onto the Loeries Chairman mid-speech – a playful nod to how deeply OOH influences our everyday environment.
Around the same time, dynamic digital screens across key city sites lit up with contextual creative celebrating OOH’s role in driving creativity, quickly adapting to include winner-themed artwork after the awards.
Then came The MOST Awards – and The OG Influencer did it again. Attendees were playfully ‘tagged’ with stickers throughout the evening, while roadside digital screens ran fresh creative during the event week.
In a final tongue-in-cheek moment, The OG Influencer appeared on-screen to ‘announce’ the Best OOH Media Owner winner via a pre-recorded video – a fitting tribute from the billboard that has always been the loudest voice in the room.
Collaboration on single OOH marketing initiative
“This is the first time in South Africa that multiple media owners have come together to collaborate on a single OOH marketing initiative,” says Carlson, owner at Synapse Media and co-editor of DOOH.co.za.
“For years, there’s been a call for greater unity in our industry – and The OG Influencer proved just how powerful collaboration can be when we all work together to champion the medium.”
Brown, owner of what3things and co-Editor of DOOH.co.za, adds: “We wanted to show the heart and strength of OOH – and to do it collectively. The success of this campaign is proof that collaboration isn’t just possible; it’s the future of our industry.”
Behind the billboard’s bold personality was a first-of-its-kind collaboration among South Africa’s most dynamic OOH players: Primedia Outdoor, Reveel, Relativ Media, Glynt Group (Tractor Outdoor), Alive Advertising, JCDecaux, Provantage, Evolv Outdoor, and Innovocean – in partnership with DOOH.co.za, creative agency Boundless, and PR partner SLAPS.
OG Influencer only the beginning
Together, they created a campaign that blurred the line between traditional and digital, turning a medium into a message.
As the campaign wraps, one truth stands tall: OOH remains impossible to ignore. It doesn’t need followers, filters, or algorithms to make an impact – just a bold idea, a good location, and the right collaboration behind it.
The OG Influencer is only the beginning, with DOOH.co.za committed to driving more multi–media-owner collaborative OOH marketing initiatives in the future.
For more information on the OG Influencer, visit https://dooh.co.za/ or:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.og.influencer/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-og-influencer/
