The OBIEs vs. The Nobies

The OBIEs vs. The Nobies

Publisher’s Note:
We enjoy sharing the soapbox that is OOH Today, whether we agree with the comments or not. We encourage you to share your opinions as well.  Send them to BillBoard@OOHToday.com or use the reply section below. For Wolfe, we love the opinion shared. We hope you enjoy this Guest Post by 35-year OOH veteran Bob Wolfe, President of OUTSELLING, Inc. What’s your opinion?

Let’s remember what we’re elevating.

Dear Mr. Brent Baer
(AKA Bill Board. AKA OOH Today’s Editor-in-Chief of Stirring the Pot),

I’ve got some thoughts on your post— The OBIEs Go Solo: Glow-Up or Growing Pains? —regarding bringing the OBIEs as a stand-alone.
Let’s start with a couple of facts.

The OBIEs used to fly solo. New York City. Real venue. Real gala energy. Occasionally themed (which, for the record, I do not recommend—keep the cheese out of it, please). And remember to know your audience—creatives probably don’t wear tuxes.

I believe somewhere along the way, we lost the plot — the OBIEs drifted away from the very reason they exist: to celebrate and cultivate creative thought in this channel.

This is supposed to be the golden moment where creatives walk into a room and say,
“Wow. That’s what you can do with a wall. Or a screen. Or a bus. Or yes, even the little sign over the urinal.”

Regardless of CPM, impression modeling, optimization dashboards, and whatever buzzword we’re currently hugging—this business ultimately comes down to what’s on the canvas, i.e., the screen. Wall. Bulletin. Wrapped bus. Station domination, etc.

—this business ultimately comes down to what’s on the canvas,

A million years ago, I used to tell our local sales staff:
Lead with creativity.  Ask the client:
“What would you do if you had that building?”
“What would you put on 1200 sq feet of space on the highway?”

We’ve all been at a dinner party where someone asks, “So what do you do?”

You say, “Outdoor advertising.”

The first question is always:
“How much do those signs cost on the Kennedy?”

And the very next thing is:
“I love that one ad for ____.”

Notice what they never ask?

“Bob, what’s the CPM on that face?”
“How do you calculate the frequency?”

The public gravitates to the creative work…Not the math. The industry needs to gravitate to this as well.

When we pitch, our first slide is never an impression model graph.
It’s a picture of great creative.  This channel is about what people see. Period.  This is what needs to be celebrated and amplified.

So yes—I believe it is absolutely in this industry’s best interest to take these awards seriously.

…it is absolutely in this industry’s best interest to take these awards seriously.

OAAA—don’t just throw a party. Build the best post-OBIE deck and video we’ve ever seen—something every operator can use in a client meeting the next morning.

Operators—send your creative teams. Energize them. Let them see what’s possible.  Because without strong visuals on our product, we don’t really have one.

I applaud the standalone move.

When the OBIEs were tucked into the Convention, I think they were kinda lost. It started to feel like an optional afterthought wedged between panels and cocktail hours.

And yes—to your point—we were mostly talking to ourselves, obviously, as we were locked in a convention.

I remember a colleague who always intentionally skipped the OBIEs on the final night of the Convention and organized an off-site rebellion. He called it “The Nobies.”  Now that was creative.

But here’s the important part: The OBIEs should focus on celebrating the entire OOH industry. Not just the Madison Avenue flex.

A great idea can come from Manhattan, Des Moines, or West Linn, Oregon.

Keep in mind that a great idea can come from Manhattan, Des Moines, or West Linn, Oregon.
Furthermore, it doesn’t necessarily have to come from a billion-dollar agency.   The independent operator who convinced a local HVAC company to do something brilliant on a static board should also be recognized.

October in the creative epicenter- New York makes sense. Elevate it. Spotlight it.

But let’s remember what we’re elevating.

Not the tuxedos.
Not the after-party.
Not the optics.

The work—and from everywhere.

Bob Wolfe
President
OUTSELLING, Inc.