Ströer and Walldecaux: Why German OoH Leaders Show Presence in Cannes

While the Outdoor Lions and other awards have already been announced, the international festival of advertising and creativity is still in full swing. Beyond the official program, Cannes remains a key meeting point where brand marketers, agencies, and industry bodies define the creative and strategic direction of tomorrow’s communication landscape. Among them: OoH players from across the globe, including tech platforms – and Germany’s leading OoH companies, Ströer and Walldecaux.

Global exchange on yachts

Together with its international parent JC Decaux, Walldecaux is maintaining a strong presence in Cannes. Alongside Viooh and Displayce, the company is hosting discussions with global market partners aboard the yacht Nela under the motto “Get Real.”

In addition, Walldecaux is once again co-organizing the Inspiration Boat – now for the 15th time – where Cannes jurors provide exclusive insights into what truly mattered in award-winning campaigns.

For German market leader Ströer, Cannes primarily serves as a platform for exchange. “We’re here for real conversations — with brands, agencies, creatives, and partners,” says Jicky von Bechtolsheim. The Senior Manager Creative Excellence at Ströer is on-site to discuss the future of Out-of-Home, particularly DooH.

Answers cannot be found alone

Anyone looking to shape the future must be part of the conversation. Even though Cannes offers several high-profile OoH placements, the medium does not speak for itself, von Bechtolsheim emphasizes. “Cannes is one of the places where brand imagery, campaign ideas, and communication strategies are defined. That’s exactly where out-of-home needs to be present.”

Andreas Knorr, Director Marketing at Walldecaux, shares this view. As DooH and OoH continue to gain importance within the media mix, collaboration across disciplines becomes increasingly critical.

“With the growing relevance of AI, the OoH industry cannot answer future questions alone,” Knorr explains. “Effectiveness, media mix, technology, AI – these are topics that must be developed together with brand partners. Cannes provides exactly that environment.”

From reach medium to creative powerhouse

Over the past years, Out-of-Home has evolved significantly, from a traditional reach medium to a digital, data-driven, and increasingly creative communications channel. “When Cannes discusses creativity, effectiveness, and brand relevance, OoH must not be sidelined,” says von Bechtolsheim. “It belongs at the center of the conversation.”

At the same time, the increasing role of technology is reshaping the industry. According to Knorr, the balance between creativity and tech has never been more important: “In Cannes, everything revolves around creativity — but technology is becoming just as critical. You can see that in the players dominating the Croisette: AI-powered creation, AI-driven buying and selling. Everything is happening in parallel, and no one knows exactly how the media landscape will evolve over the next 12 months.”

The untapped potential of DooH

As technology and creativity converge, DooH is positioned to play a central role in the future of media. However, there is still significant headroom for innovation — particularly in how the medium is used creatively.

“Many campaigns still use digital out-of-home in a very traditional way — a single motif, some movement, maybe a few variations,” von Bechtolsheim observes. “That’s not wrong, but it doesn’t fully leverage the potential of the channel.”

What the industry needs, she argues, are bold campaigns that truly exploit the possibilities of OoH and DooH. Strong case studies will be key to showcasing the medium’s creative and technological strengths. Not only in Cannes, but across the broader media landscape.