Ogilvy, Zeal Creative, Blacklist Creative and Don’t Panic also win awards.
Publicis London has secured the top two prizes for Lloyds Bank and Fertility Action in Ocean Outdoor’s 2026 Digital Creative Competition.
This is the first time in 17 years that both Golds in the commercial and non-profit categories have been awarded to the same creative agency. The categories were judged separately by independent juries.
The annual competition seeks bold, original ideas in Out of Home (OOH). The UK winners were announced today at a creative summit and awards ceremony hosted by Ocean at One Marylebone in London.
The winning line-up
Publicis London takes the top prize in the commercial brand category for ‘Overprotective Pet Wear’, which pairs people’s pets with over-the-top designer outfits, offering those without insurance some ‘extra protection’, turning a serious message into something audiences will enjoy, film and pass on.
Silver goes to Zeal Creative and Kleenex for the world’s first ever sneezing billboard. The ‘Kleenex Sneezy Screen’ tracks and displays live pollen data, using the brand logo front and centre as the visual and audio cue, to grab everyone’s attention.
Ogilvy and Dove Masterbrand are awarded Bronze for ‘The Postpartum Billboard’, an immersive authentic celebration of mothers’ bodies to redefine beauty after birth.
In the non-profit category, Publicis London and Fertility Action take Gold for ‘The Life Changing Lottery’, a gamified idea which draws on the visual cues of lottery ads to expose inequalities in access to NHS funded IVF which it turns out is determined by your postcode.
Silver goes to Blacklist Creative and WRAP for ‘Attack of the Recycloids’, a family game which brings to life animated B-movie style monsters made of rubbish to drive home the message about recycling right.
Don’t Panic and The Samaritans take Bronze for ‘Lives on the Line’, a powerful call to action which integrates live call volume data with the scale of OOH to illustrate how many life-saving conversations are happening right now.
The winners share a total prize fund of £500,000 which will be used to bring their ideas to life across Ocean’s UK portfolio.
Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw says: “Seventeen years of the Digital Creative Competition reflect the power of original thinking. Original, stand-out ideas that generate real emotion and connection. Nothing beats the human premium, and our 2026 winners illustrate how modern OOH is shaping that connection.
“The message could not be clearer. Simple, memorable, immersive work is elevating brands in ways other platforms can’t. Entertaining and effective ideas are transforming the potential for OOH to move, influence, help and deliver authentic experiences that can exist anywhere. Congratulations to all of our winners and we look forward to bringing their ideas to life.”
This year’s jury was chaired by Graham Fink. The panel of 25 industry experts included David Patton, CEO DA&D; Natalie Mackle, head of media, Magnum; Joe Petyan, CEO, VML UK Group; Curtis Weir, OOH Group Director, Publicis Media; and Charlotte Tudor, VP Marketing, Disney.
Publicis London will now go forward to compete against the Gold winners in six other Ocean markets for the European Grand Prix, an incremental prize which will be announced in January 2027. The Grand Prix winner is awarded space on Europe’s best DOOH screens across seven Ocean markets.
Why they won
Commercial category
Gold
Overprotective Pet Wear
Brand: Lloyds Bank
Agency: Publicis London
Lloyds Bank leans into the fact that 46% of pet owners skip pet insurance but spend freely on pet clothing, partnering with fashion designers to create a collection of over the top outfits giving extra protection for those without cover. Using Ocean’s new Lens Spot tech, screen cameras overlay designer outfits on dogs in real time, turning a walk into street theatre and the dog into the star. Owners can then scan a code to receive an instant insurance quote. The campaign builds with a gallery of dressed dogs, supported by a flagship influencer runway.
The judges said: “For an insurance category to come up with something so funny elevates this right out of its category. A dog wearing spikes? Give the creative person a raise.”
Silver
The Kleenex Sneezy Screen
Brand: Kleenex
Agency: Zeal Creative
Kleenex makes the invisible visible, tracking and displaying live pollen data, visualising particles the naked eye can’t see. Using Ocean React, live data and audio tech, the OOH screen updates in real time. As the pollen begins building, it irritates the logo to the point of a loud sneeze, reminding people to have their tissues ready before allergy symptoms take hold.
The judges said: “The insight is pretty clear. We got it and it made us laugh. It’s funny and it’s all about the brand, not a logo in the corner. Both cute and educational.”
Bronze
The Postpartum Billboard
Brand: Dove Masterbrand
Agency: Ogilvy
Challenging the expectation for new mothers to just “bounce back”, Dove puts their postpartum bodies at the centre of the conversation to broaden standards and redefine what beauty after birth can look like. In a series of untouched intimate portraits, real mothers control the entire frame, tilting the camera to reveal their bodies on their terms. 3D DeepScreen brings striking visual depth to a simple, empowering message.
The judges said: “The mother having control of the frame is quite powerful. This is a really strong ad which benefits from the power of a strong brand idea. We found the idea visually arresting.”
Non-profit category
Gold
The Life Changing Lottery
Brand: Fertility Action
Agency: Publicis London
One in six couples face fertility challenges and yet in the UK, access to NHS-funded IVF depends on where you live. Fertility Action applies the scale and power of OOH to expose an unfair system and build support for equitable fertility access.
This idea uses interactive technology to gamify the insight, inviting people to enter their postcode to discover if they’re one of the ‘lucky’ winners in the ‘Life Changing Lottery’. Drawing on the visual cues of lotteries, OOH turns a hidden inequality into a shared experience to drive petition signatures and make starting a family a right, not a gamble.
The judges said: “We’ve all learnt something we probably didn’t know, and it gets us to do something about it. The insights come over really well and land really clearly.”
Silver
Attack of the Recycloids
Brand: WRAP
Agency: Blacklist Creative
Players battle their way through waves of monsters made of rubbish in an animated interactive game which uses Ocean’s skeletal tracking to ‘take out the waste’ and build a recycling leaderboard. Inspired by low budget B-movies, the aim of WRAP’s game is to raise awareness about the rubbish generated in our cities, and the importance of all of us recycling right.
The judges said: “We love the use of entertainment to lift and elevate an important cause. It’s a fantastic idea and people will engage with it if they’re out with the kids.”
Bronze
Lives on the Line
Brand: Samaritans
Agency: Don’t Panic
Everything the Samaritans does is underpinned by the conviction that human connection has the power to prevent suicide. And with one in four people experiencing suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, their emergency phone service is a lifeline for those in distress. This idea uses Ocean React tech to highlight how many lifesaving calls are happening right now, the live feed dramatising the minute by minute, alarmingly high demand for the charity’s services.
The judges said: “This idea is super simple and powerful because tomorrow might be too late. It’s a live feed, which has just one level to pull.”
