The OOH category aims to recognise exceptional creativity in outdoor media. Simon Wall, CEO at Tractor Outdoor, says "It can be expected that the lockdown would negatively impact a high-reach, high-frequency medium such as OOH, given that its very nature relies on the movement of people in public spaces."

Wall adds that, as a result of this crippling blow, which the industry is still in the process of recovering from, it was important for the media owner to partner with the Loeries in an effort to revive the category. "We are now starting to see the return of people to the metros, which has had the effect of reinvigorating our industry."

"As an official partner to the Loeries, we hope to highlight creativity within the category, while enlightening the broader community as to the medium’s extensive capabilities," he says.

Wall says that OOH plays an ever more critical role in our current socio-economic context, as it provides advertisers with the opportunity to indirectly invest in communities. "The industry’s revenue-share model sees us providing a source of funding to our inventory landlords, which, in turn, feeds into the local community, ultimately having an uplifting effect on the economy." 

Dubbed 'possibly one of the most important Loeries events in its 42-year history' due to the role the platform is expected to play in elevating impactful messaging at a critical juncture, the theme of this year’s awards is 'Create Change'. The Loeries Creative Week festival will focus on curating insights around how society can move forward in a world changed by the coronavirus.

"This theme is particularly pertinent to us as an industry. The platform will allow us to add our voice to the process, which will see some of the region’s brightest minds collectively apply their talents and expertise toward designing solutions that will build our society’s future resilience," says Wall.

With over 100 synchronised screens across all major metros in the country, Tractor Outdoor is a leading supplier of DOOH, with one of the largest established networks in South Africa. Wall adds that it is the media owner’s vision to work with the Loeries to develop a stand-alone DOOH category, which will aim to encourage more creativity across the medium. "We will also be driving regular creative submissions throughout the year in an effort to encourage new ideas and concepts, and the best submissions will be flighted across our network."

Wall says that, through the Loeries sponsorship, Tractor Outdoor strives to make people aware of the technologies and opportunities that DOOH offers. "We haven't even scratched the surface in terms of unlocking its potential across the region as the second-fastest-growing medium, after the Internet." 

"We are excited to partner with the Loeries, as the creativity and innovation for which it is world-renowned are the same qualities that form the bedrock upon which we have built our business," he adds. 

"This is an incredible time to be involved in OOH, and more specifically, DOOH. Our industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and it is our hope that in partnering with a leading creative platform, we are able to shine a light on one of the most progressive mediums currently available. In doing so, we hope to inspire and invigorate more creatives to explore the exciting opportunities within OOH and DOOH," concludes Wall.

For more information, visit www.tractoroutdoor.com. You can also follow Tractor Outdoor on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.