Creating an out-of-home (OOH) campaign that stands out, prompts brand recall and clearly communicates a message is no easy feat, but Boots has achieved that with its “biggest ever beauty campaign”, according to exclusive research.

The campaign featured across Central London, with a 3D billboard in London Waterloo featuring a range of products available at Boots with the tagline, ‘We’re gonna need a bigger billboard’. The campaign also comprised a takeover of one of Oxford Circus’s underground platforms and played on people’s senses with a physical perfume bottle spraying in Westfields White City.

The 3D beauty campaign landed in the top 5% of all UK out-of-home ads in Kantar’s database for females and the top 31% for all ads that make people “stop and look” according to the latest edition of ‘The Works’.

The study, which is produced in association with Marketing Week and the Advertising Association’s Trust Working Group, asks 750 consumers to give their thoughts on the top ads over the period. It also tracks the facial expressions and eye movements of those viewing the ad to measure the effectiveness of ads across different mediums.

OOH dwell time can be limited, with consumers spending an average of two to three seconds looking at an ad. Therefore, the creative needs to grab attention and land the intended impression of the brand and product without “active thought”, according to Lynne Deason, Kantar’s head of creative excellence. “That is exactly what this ad does,” she tells Marketing Week.

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“This 3D effect, although not a new concept, is one that we are seeing more in OOH advertising,” explains Deason. “What Boots has managed to do is take that concept, freshen it up and hero the products, allowing them to tell the story.”

Deason notes that for an ad with minimal wording, it is “impressive” that the message that Boots has a wide range of beauty and make-up products falls in the top 10% of all UK OOH ads.

Despite many brands appearing in the ad, Boots is the standout and grabs initial attention, triggering a natural association with the retailer. Branding for the campaign landed in the top 4% of UK OOH ads.

“You may find it surprising to see people mentioning they like the fact it is obvious which brand it’s for, but this is something we see time and time again from consumers,” says Deason.

“They don’t like the feeling of being left confused about which brand an ad is for, even more so if it’s sparked their interest, which this ad does well.”

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Once attention is captured, the ad continued to keep people, but women specifically, engaged. Affinity lands in the top 4% of all ads and in the top 20% for ‘feeling different to others’.

“Both elements – alongside making Boots feel relevant to people’s needs – help to predispose people to choose Boots over other alternatives when a need or usage occasion arises.”

This year, Boots introduced 55 new beauty brands. Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter, retail sales grew by 6.2% year-on-year, contributing to a 6.9% sales uplift for the full year ending 31 August.

According to managing director Seb James, the business is “laser focused” on preparations for the peak trading period, with Christmas gifting ranges landing in stores as early as October.