When used creatively, DooH screens can be storytelling stations that inspire people on their daily journeys – whether to buy or to reflect. The most creative advertising and non-profit campaigns in the UK have now been selected by Ocean.
DooH: The Winners of Ocean’s UK Competition
Two campaigns – one for The Times newspaper and another for the men’s health charity Prost8 – have claimed top honors in Ocean Outdoor’s 16th annual Digital Creative Competition, which celebrates innovation in Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising.
The competition drew more than 100 entries, with winners announced at an event hosted by Ocean at One Marylebone in London. Agencies T&P and TBWA\MCR each earned Gold in their respective categories, sharing part of a £500,000 (US$610,000) prize purse in ad space across Ocean’s UK network.
Commercial category
In the commercial category, T&P’s For Our Changing Times for The Times reimagines 240 years of history through mixed-reality storytelling, turning digital billboards into windows to the past by recreating historic events on the streets where they happened. Silver went to TBWA for Ginsters: Scarecrows Wanted, an interactive game that invites players to take on the role of the scarecrow to ward off pesky farm intruders. Bronze went to Atomic London for Break the Glass Ceiling, an Indeed campaign spotlighting gender pay transparency.
Non-profit category
In the non-profit category, TBWA\MCR took Gold for Dodge the Finger, a lighthearted interactive game for Prost8 that educates men about the benefits of a simple blood test, rather than the dreaded finger, in detecting prostate illness. Havas London earned both Silver and Bronze for NHS Blood & Transplant and the Department for Education, addressing blood shortages and early-years childcare needs, respectively.
Creativity with purpose
“What stands out among our winners this year is how much agencies and brands have embraced the scale and creative potential of DooH to divert, entertain, spark conversations, and raise awareness,” said Phil Hall, CEO of Ocean Outdoor UK. “I look forward to seeing these ideas brought to life across Ocean’s estate.”
The two Gold-winning campaigns now advance to Ocean’s European Grand Prix, competing against winners from six Northern European markets. The overall winner will be announced in January 2026.
Winner Overview
Commercial Gold
The Times: For Our Changing Times
Agency: T&P
Passersby can witness events like the women’s suffrage movement and the 1966 World Cup celebrations in the very places they walk today.
Commercial Silver
Ginsters: Scarecrows Wanted
Agency: TBWA
Pasty brand Ginsters turns the screen and its surroundings into a live gaming experience using skeletal tracking tech to mirror people’s movements, allowing them to take on the role of the scarecrow to ward off pesky farm intruders.
Commercial Bronze
Indeed: Break the Glass Ceiling
Agency: Atomic London
International job site Indeed tackles the invisible barrier that contributes to women in the UK earning on average 11.2 percent less than men by turning Printworks Manchester SkyLights into an interactive glass ceiling. Passersby can anonymously share their gender, job title and salary to help shatter the ceiling.
Non-profit Gold
Prost8: Dodge the Finger
Agency: TBWA\MCR
According to Prost8, men avoid tests because they wrongly think it involves a finger up the backside. To dispel this myth and save more lives, the charity turns Ocean screens into retro arcade games which are controlled by people’s butts.
Non-profit Silver
NHS Blood & Transplant: NHS Emergency Low-Gos
Agency: Havas London
When NHS blood stocks fall dangerously low, a national emergency alert is broadcast across the nation’s DOOH screens supporting by global brands who surrender their most valuable asset – their famously red logos.
Non-profit Bronze
Department for Education: Play Stations
Agency: Havas London
DooH helps give children the best possible start with a campaign that turns Ocean’s Loop pedestrian screens into Play Stations, visualizing the joy of working in childcare and education.
