OMA sends pointed OOH message to politicians
The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has launched a campaign trumpeting the contribution the out-of-home industry makes to the community.
OMA CEO Elizabeth McIntyre claimed politicians did not understand the economic impact the OOH industry has on public infrastructure.
The campaign, ‘Life Without Out Of Home’, developed by Howatson and Co, aims to counteract this ignorance.
“This is about broadening their understanding of out of home, that our members contribute a lot to the community,” she told Mumbrella.
Last year, the OMA commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to quantify the value the OOH industry adds to public infrastructure. Deloitte concluded OOH contributes around $1.3 billion to the Australian economy. It also found that the OOH industry develops, manages, and maintains over 21,500 pieces of public infrastructure valued at more than $650 million.
McIntyre said the campaign will highlight this contribution as governments consider further restrictions on advertising.
In South Australia, the government’s ban on junk food and drink advertising across Adelaide Metro buses, trains, and trams will come into effect on July 1. The OMA has previously slammed the ban, claiming it “does not address the complex and deeply embedded root causes of obesity”.
OMA members have donated over $41 million in ad space since 2021 to encourage healthy eating habits via the ‘Fresh Veg, Deliciously Affordable’ campaign.
Elsewhere, discourse continues over gambling advertising reforms following a parliamentary inquiry in 2023.
Free-to-air television networks and metro radio stations are also currently fighting not to lose the $238.6 million in gambling advertising revenue they make in each calendar year from gambling advertising.
There have also previously been calls to ban the advertising of alcohol.
“It’s very easy for politicians and people to say they are going to ban certain ads without understanding the unintended consequences,” McIntyre told Mumbrella.
While the OMA is still trying to work out exactly what the impact of these bans will have on both the OOH industry and the wider advertising industry, McIntyre said it goes beyond just the ads.
“It’s about jobs, infrastructure, and creating value that would otherwise come from the public purse,” she said.
And as she has long argued, McIntyre said legislative change should include engagement with the industry, and the government should better acknowledge the role OOH plays.
“We’d like to see a bit more collaboration on these initiatives, rather than [the government] just coming in and banning a particular category.”
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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