“We’ve just come out of the most difficult years any of us will ever collectively experience with Covid. Which is why we’re looking for a bit of fun, but 70% of people can’t remember the last time a brand excited them.”

Jane Lee, Head of Outdoor Business Development at Global, is explaining the ‘joy gap’ in advertising. According to new research from Global over half (55%) of Gen Z consumers say they feel positive about outdoor advertising, while only 30% feel the same about ads on their phone.

Global undertook the new research with independent agency, Differentology, and supplemented this with TGI data to size and profile the audience.

When Global analysed around 40 campaigns as part of their ongoing benchmark project they identified that across different categories when brands combine Tube and Large Format Digital advertising there is a significant multiplier effect across key awareness, understanding and action metrics. 

The research showed a 138% increase in brand awareness when brands combine the use of tube and large format digital advertising. When advertisers combine these formats there was a 96% increase in brand understanding and an increase of 26% amongst people saying they were 'driven to action'. 

Engaging with high-end shoppers 

The research revealed that amongst high-end shoppers 62% tend to notice advertising for luxury shopping and over half (55%) think more favourably of brands that advertise in premium and upmarket locations.

Almost half of what Global calls ‘A list’ shoppers (46%) say that seeing luxury shopping ads puts them in a shopping mood. While 54% say It helps them to decide on luxury purchases.

Tom Crichton, Director of Client Development at Global, said: “London is the home of luxury shopping. It attracts visitors from all over the world to browse its boutiques, dip in and out of its department stores and splash their cash at the statement stores that line some of London’s most sought-after streets. London’s largest audience of luxury shoppers doesn’t come from overseas, it comes from London itself.” 

Meet the new driving elite 

The research identifies an overlooked audience segmentation for brands that Global has called the new ‘driving elite’. The average time for a 10k journey in London was almost 38 minutes, this beats Dublin, Milan and Lima. These traffic delays equate to significant dwell time next to the capital’s premium and large format digital outdoor formats.

Crichton explains: “There is a mode of transport and an audience that is often overlooked by campaign planners. London’s ‘driving elite’ are ready to be seduced by luxury brands, and to find out exactly who London’s ‘driving elite’ are, what they think and how they shop.”

Hayley Fox-Clark, Global’s Head of Insight Innovation, adds: “The research found that London’s luxury shoppers are spending a sizable chunk of their time each week in the car, with one in four spending five hours or more in their car each week.

Global’s research shows that this driving elite is a young crowd, with 20% aged 17-24 - more Gen Z than Gen X.  Amongst the entire 'driving elite' catagory half (50%) regularly shop for luxury clothes, almost three times the national average. While four in 10 shop luxury beauty, over four times the national average. Watches, cars and  homeware are all categories this audience enjoys shopping far more than the average Brit. 

“London is home to consumers who live for luxury. This is an audience driving out of choice, not necessity. Targeting drivers is an effective way to not only extend a campaign’s reach but also memorability, amongst a young, affluent audience,” adds Fox-Clarke.

The research underlines that the capital’s numerous traffic jams might be a nuisance for drivers, but for marketers they present an opportunity to fill that joy gap.