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Mercedes-Benz advertising wraps London's BFI IMAX, one of the high-profile OoH locations featured in Ocean Outdoor's research into brand perception (Image: Ocean Outdoor)
Mercedes-Benz advertising wraps London's BFI IMAX, one of the high-profile OoH locations featured in Ocean Outdoor's research into brand perception (Image: Ocean Outdoor)

Brand Perception: Ocean Study Finds 88% Brand Perception Boost For High-Profile OoH Displays

Research commissioned by Ocean Outdoor finds that advertising on landmark OoH displays generates stronger signals of brand quality, financial strength and confidence than standard outdoor formats.

British outdoor advertising company Ocean Outdoor has released new research suggesting that where a brand advertises can significantly influence how consumers perceive it. The study found that high-profile OoH locations generated 88% stronger brand fitness signals than standard outdoor advertising formats.

The research, conducted by Everyday People, examined how different advertising environments influence consumer perceptions of a brand’s financial strength, product quality, and confidence in its products.

Iconic locations such as London’s Piccadilly Lights and BFI IMAX performed particularly well. According to the study, these formats outperformed television on five of the six brand perception measures tested.

Size and location matter

The study distinguishes between two categories of brand signals: fitness signals, which measure perceived financial strength, product quality and confidence, and social signals, which assess expectations of brand recognition, popularity and commercial success.

Compared with standard OoH, large-format, full-motion displays generated 50% stronger fitness signals, while iconic locations delivered an 88% increase.

The differences were less pronounced for social signals. Large-format, full-motion displays achieved a 23% increase over standard OoH, while iconic locations generated a 37% improvement.

Ocean’s premium locations, including its iconic sites, also performed well against social media. The research found a 71% increase in perceived brand quality, a 91% increase in perceived financial strength and a 21% increase in confidence in the advertised brand.

Premium large-format displays outperformed television on two of the six measures, while iconic formats scored higher on five.

Testing consumer perceptions

Ocean commissioned the research to build on previous signaling studies conducted by Everyday People for Thinkbox in 2020 and WPP Essencemediacom in 2024.

Researchers recruited 2,426 participants during the first quarter of 2026 and tested eight outdoor advertising locations using a fictional brand called TIXE.

A Ralph Lauren Wimbledon campaign takes over London's Piccadilly Lights, another high-profile location featured in Ocean Outdoor's brand perception research (Image: Ocean Outdoor)
A Ralph Lauren Wimbledon campaign takes over London’s Piccadilly Lights, another high-profile location featured in Ocean Outdoor’s brand perception research (Image: Ocean Outdoor)

Participants saw an example advertising location and were told that TIXE planned to advertise exclusively at that site for three months. They then answered questions about the brand’s perceived financial strength, product quality, confidence and potential commercial success.

Using a fictional brand allowed researchers to examine perceptions associated with the advertising environment rather than an established brand’s reputation.

Steve Bernard, Ocean Outdoor UK’s head of insight, said the findings demonstrate why advertisers should consider factors beyond audience reach when selecting outdoor advertising locations.

“The findings tell us that advertisers should consider how significantly different premium and iconic large formats are in powering positive brand effects. Consideration should be given to nuances in effectiveness – reach is very important, but attention and signal strength power brand perception and trust,” Bernard said.

Ocean intends to use the findings alongside attention measurements to help advertisers assess how different outdoor environments might influence consumer relationships.

The results measure participants’ perceptions of a hypothetical advertising campaign, not actual purchasing behavior or the commercial performance of campaigns at the locations tested.