This simple Post Office billboard pokes fun at the Facebook outage
Topical outdoor ads went up in London today

Editor's Pick
Snail mail had a laugh at the expense of social media today, with the U.K. Post Office creating a tactical outdoor ad poking fun at yesterday's lengthy social media outage on Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram.
While multiple brands took the opportunity to poke fun at the outage, most have done so via Twitter (the only social platform still running yesterday). But agency Ogilvy U.K. jumped on the moment for a quick outdoor opportunity, with a super simple piece of creative that reads "Social post" with the word "social" crossed out.
According to Jules Chalkley, executive creative director at Ogilvy, the team keeps a running brief for tactical ads, and the idea was suggested this morning by the agency's head of production. By mid-morning it had been signed off by the client, and artwork was approved in a couple of hours. By mid-afternoon a deal was struck with media owner Clear Channel. The billboard is now running on five outdoor sites across London, with more to come.
"While the world went into digital turmoil, Post Office did what it has always done: be the original social media network, connecting people day in day out, all over the country in a beautifully human way," said Chalkley, adding that choosing outdoor rather than social media joke felt like "the right thing to do" for the Post Office. The idea celebrates a more traditional way of communicating and reminds people that sometimes, digital isn't always best.
Credits
- Date
- Oct 05, 2021
- Client :
- Post Office
- Agency :
- Ogilvy U.K.
- Client Partner :
- Katharine Easteal
- Chief Executive Creative Director :
- Jules Chalkley
- CCO :
- Andre Laurentino
- Business Director :
- Sammatha Hagans
- Group Programme Director :
- Sophie Rhys Evans
- Deputy ECD Design :
- Luke Ridgeway
- ECD Design :
- Dave Towers
- Copywriter :
- Ollie Jarrott
- Creative Director :
- Liam Butler
- Head of Production :
- Justin Cairns
- Marketing Director Post Office :
- David Enwright
- Media Client Director :
- Sana Farid
- Clear Channel :
- Sam Harris
- Clear Channel :
- Richard Bon
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