By AdWorld

Copyright adworld

While summer is officially over and Halloween is creeping up rapidly, it’s time for brands to consider the all-important Christmas season writes Susan Murtagh.

As the festive season approaches, brands and agencies face the same challenge they do every year: “How do we cut through the noise and connect in a meaningful way with our audiences?”

We hear you, but this year, something’s different. Nostalgia is making a big comeback. People are actively choosing to step away from screens, lean into tradition, and seek real-world connection, and I’m sure you can guess where this is going, but that’s exactly where Out of Home (OOH) thrives.

At Talon, we’ve been tracking the signals. From shifting behaviours to emotional triggers, the data tells a clear story.

This year, 37% of consumers say they want Christmas ads to bring back that nostalgic feeling, and nearly half are planning to cut down on screen time to protect the spirit of the season. If that’s not a clear signal that audiences are craving something more real, what is? People are leaning into shared experiences, with 55% saying they will spend more time with family and OOH meets these moments with unmatched authenticity. It’s physical, it’s public, and it’s woven seamlessly into our everyday surroundings.

When looking at gift buying, our latest insights show similar patterns to last year. With things kicking off in September and October (31%) and building steadily throughout November (23%), Black Friday week (9%) and December (15%). Fridays (12%), Saturdays (16%) and evenings (18%) are the sweet spot for footfall.

With 62% of consumers planning to shop in-store and 74% planning to use public transport to get around, opportunities arise to prime and persuade shoppers with a multitude of OOH formats. But it doesn’t stop at gifts. Christmas shopping has become a social occasion, 64% of people plan to meet friends while they’re out, 50% will grab a bite at a restaurant, and over a third will head to the pub post-purchases. It’s no longer just about ticking off the list; many are making a day of it. Creating more opportunities to connect with not just shoppers, but with diners, commuters, and revellers.

From roadside billboards on festive journeys, to transport hubs as people travel to Christmas events, retail environments acting as festive hubs, and points of interest that spark seasonal magic, OOH meets audiences in the moments that matter most. And crucially, 53% of consumers say Christmas campaigns reach them in the right mindset, making it the perfect moment to connect with relevance and resonance.

It doesn’t stop there. With our programmatic DSP, Optimise, we’re able to deliver precision targeting at scale. Whether you are targeting luxury gift givers, festive foodies, party season spenders, or last-minute shoppers.

Optimise allows you to buy by audience, not just location and harness real-time agility to respond in context – adjusting creatives based on weather, temperature, time of day, and let’s be honest Christmas gives us plenty to work with. A frosty morning, a weekend shopping rush, we can tailor the message to match that exact moment. With 44% of consumers planning to spend more this Christmas, including 26% spending more on food and 5% planning to spend more on drink, the opportunity to influence purchase decisions in the right place and time has never been stronger.

And here’s the part we love, it works. OOH drives stronger emotional engagement at Christmas than any other time of year. 70% of people say they pay more attention to festive ads, and we see a +2.7% uplift in action compared to the rest of the year.

But the real magic happens when emotion is paired with product messaging. That’s when we see a +140% boost in action. So, you see, once you make people feel something, they’re far more likely to do something, because just like every great Christmas story, it’s the feeling that moves the plot forward.

Christmas is a season built on connection, emotion, and storytelling and OOH delivers all three with scale, precision, and creativity. For agencies building campaigns and brands looking to show up in the moments that matter, OOH isn’t just part of the plan, it’s the medium that turns festive feels into festive sales. Don’t believe me? Reach out to marketing-ie@talonoutdoor.com or caroline.decourcy@talonooh.com for the full suite of results.

Susan Murtagh is Business Director, Talon Ireland.