Can we interrupt you for a moment? You’re no doubt busy putting together your submissions for the Outdoor Media Awards, run by Clear Channel and Campaign. But we have some insight that might help - and make it even more enjoyable.
The experts who will be sifting through this year’s entries and ultimately deciding on the winners have generously given us all a window into who they were as children and growing up.
Not only does it make for an illuminating and occasionally heartstopping read, now you can know the personalities you are putting your work in front of, not just the names and job titles.
There’s also valuable information about what excites them about outdoor and what specifically they will be looking to reward in the 2024 contest.
Hear from the first cohort here; we’ll bring you more on February 26.
Entries to the Outdoor Media Awards, run by Clear Channel in partnership with Campaign, close Friday March 1, 2024.
Jessica Myers, chief marketing officer, The Very Group
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
A princess.
A favourite childhood memory
Summer beach holidays with my family.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
That my hamster, Honey, never ran away and always found her way back to her cage. Apparently there had been quite a few Honey the hamsters.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Kiss chase.
What were you like at 15?
According to my mother, I was a bit tricky. Too much swagger and very headstrong. I don’t see it myself.
Favourite lesson
PE.
Worst lesson
Physics.
Your school persona
Sporty.
Favourite ad
Anything from Guinness – great brand!
First song you became obsessed with
Anything from the Spice Girls, but probably Wannabe was where it all started.
First job
Waitress in a Devonshire tea room on Dartmoor.
What do you miss about being a child?
Those carefree summer holidays that seemed to go on forever.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Taken a proper gap year and gone travelling rather than going straight into corporate life.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
Outdoor can be a brilliant channel choice to effectively reach your target customer through compelling creative and really thoughtful placement, either working hard on its own or as part of a broader campaign.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
I’m excited to see some excellent examples of brands being really clever and targeted using data and insight, coming together with brilliant creative to deliver customer and commercial impact. Not just lots of examples of AI and single outdoor placements!
Elliott Millard, chief strategy and planning officer, Wavemaker UK
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to run a bird of prey centre. Was totally obsessed by eagles and things like that.
A favourite childhood memory
Being driven around by my godfather who was (at the time) unbelievably cool to me. He had a convertible and we drove around London one day in maybe Jan / Feb eating sweets with the top down and the heating up because it was cold. He was the first person that showed me that adulthood wasn’t necessarily about a suit and a tie and being serious.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
My father once told me that the huge black “lumps” of silage bales that we went past in rare ventures outside the M25 were bulls. I believed him for years.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Pretty much everything we did would now be outlawed. But the game of chicken where we threw darts at each other’s feet was probably frowned upon even in the 80s.
What were you like at 15?
A culture clash of goth and grunge at a school that frowned on both. Think Sinbad trousers and a Pearl Jam t-shirt plus a leather jacket paired with public school floppy hair. Not my finest time.
Favourite lesson
Music.
Worst lesson
Geography.
Your school persona
Nerd. 100%.
Favourite ad
“Colgate blue minty gel”. I try to convince them to run it again every few months. Never works.
First song you became obsessed with
My Prerogative, Bobby Brown.
First job
Distributing leaflets for a watch company around Oxford Street. I used to dump them and go play the Gameboy in Selfridges over the road. This is probably a good time to apologise to the good people of Grays Antique Market.
What do you miss about being a child?
The things I didn’t know would be problems – money, mortgages, caring for parents, joint pain. And the blissful hours you could spend reading and choosing your own adventure books in what felt like a perpetual summer.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Bought stock in Apple and convinced my parents to buy property.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
The sense that it’s not a singular channel any more. OOH has blurred like nothing else. It’s scaled and targeted, broad and data-led, simple and complex, and immersive and powerful. Brilliant outdoor is some of the most exciting work I’ve seen lately.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Work that challenges our perceptions of what you can do in the channel, work that has a pure line from insight to delivery and work that I’m jealous of.
Claire Marker, chief client officer, Manning Gottlieb OMD
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
A reader. Just reading books was my dream.
A favourite childhood memory
Camping holidays with my family.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
I thought Welsh Rarebit was made with rabbit (notion dispelled at the first burst of laughter).
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Cripes, can’t think of anything.
What were you like at 15?
Awkward. With a perm.
Favourite lesson
English Lit.
Worst lesson
Any science subject.
Your school persona
Always revising.
Favourite ad
Age UK x Gogglebox partnership: No-one should have no-one at Christmas.
First song you became obsessed with
Don’t worry, be happy.
First job
Media sales.
What do you miss about being a child?
My Dad.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Taken a million more photos.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
That 50p in every £1 goes back into the community.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Real innovation and provable effectiveness.
Simon Crunden, CEO, The Freethinking Group and managing director, Republic of Media
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
I can’t remember wanting to be anything at 3! But my earliest career aspiration was to be an airline pilot. Those guys looked pretty cool in the pre-budget-airline days.
A favourite childhood memory
When the Street Fighter II machine at the local shop broke while I was playing and gave unlimited credits. Kids were queuing out the door for a shot. I remember phoning my mum on the payphone to say I wouldn’t be coming home. A perfect day.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
Thinking it must be amazing to have Smarties on you at all times and be able to eat them whenever you feel like it. To be honest, I still think that’s pretty amazing.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Knuckles. Using decks of cards to cut your knuckles to the bone.
What were you like at 15?
Spotty, sarcastic and centre-parted - smoking Regal King Size and hanging out on street corners in terrible clothes.
Favourite lesson
Geography.
Worst lesson
Chemistry.
Your school persona
I went to an all-boys school where personality was discouraged.
Favourite ad
“Guinness Surfer” came out when I was 18 and was, and remains, the coolest advertising film I’d ever seen. I was getting into Techno and the leftfield soundtrack was perfect.
First song you became obsessed with
I recently found something I wrote when I was 11 that said Poison by Alice Cooper was my favourite song in a very short-lived rock phase.
First job
Video store clerk at Xtravision (the Irish Blockbuster). Two pounds an hour but you got to sit and watch movies and eat Minstrels while you worked which wasn’t too bad.
What do you miss about being a child?
Street Fighter II.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Not much to be honest. Whatever combination of fate and luck has led to where I am today has worked pretty well. If I change something, who’s to say I wouldn’t just make things worse?
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
If you don’t still get a thrill from seeing campaigns you worked on on a big poster then it’s probably time to go and do something else.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
I’d like to see campaigns that make the most of OOH’s strengths in creating fame and delivering bold but effective creative. Campaigns that compliment their environment and context would also be interesting. If consumers are interested, it can’t just be on LinkedIn. And of course, the more sustainable they can be, the better.
Flora Kong, client managing director, Carat
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
A vet but I changed my mind very quickly once I realised that it wasn’t just about fluffy dogs and cats but involved being elbow deep with farm animals.
A favourite childhood memory
Moving from Hong Kong to Australia at the age of 5. Sunshine, clear skies and so much green space!!
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
That televisions had been around for hundreds of years. I got marked down for it in a Year 2 essay.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Apparently musical chairs teaches aggression?!
What were you like at 15?
My mum would say I was a petulant child that did the opposite of what she asked.
Favourite lesson
Sports class – being in Australia it meant we always got to go outside.
Worst lesson
Latin. I have 100% not used anything I have learned but I can still remember how to say hello to my teacher.
Your school persona
The nerd who was also the lead singer in a band.
Favourite ad
A 1980’s RSPCA TV ad in Australia: “For all creatures great and small”. Basically a minute of baby animals walking past your TV screen.
First song you became obsessed with
I should be so lucky, Kylie Minogue.
First job
In a deli on a Saturday so I had an excuse to not have to go to Chinese Saturday School.
What do you miss about being a child?
School holidays – who doesn’t like 12 weeks off in a year!
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Stuck at learning Chinese. I now can’t read it or write it and sound like a six year old when speaking it.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
It’s such a creative medium that can create lots of press and PR. I also like the societal element that OOH has moved into e.g. digital screens helping to light up dark streets, green bus shelters for bees and butterflies, and high street defibrillators.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Great story-telling from entries with a clear strategic red thread. The “why did I not think of that!” feeling.
Danny Donovan, CEO, Build Media Limited
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to drive the Tonka toy dumper truck I had been given.
A favourite childhood memory
The sound of rain on a caravan roof on a family holiday somewhere in the UK.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
I'm a West Ham fan. We won the FA cup in 1975 and 1980. My childish misconception was that we would win regular silverware. That was dispelled every year for the next 40!
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Ten people spinning as fast as possible on the park merry-go-round.
What were you like at 15?
Better at golf than I am now.
Favourite lesson
Maths.
Worst lesson
French.
Your school persona (joker, nerd, leader, sporty..)
Sporty.
Favourite ad
According to my mum, I was obsessed with ads at a young age. Volvo and MFI stick out in my memory! In later life, any of the Dudley Moore or Prunella Scales Tesco ads from the 90's.
First song you became obsessed with
Anything on my mum’s Elvis Greatest Hits LP
First job
Classified ad sales admin assistant - Westminster Press (regional press publisher).
What do you miss about being a child?
Not much.I don't envy kids. They have as much pressure as adults, especially these days.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Join the computer club at school.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
It is a medium full of energy, invention, and belief in its power to deliver results for brands.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
I would like to see something new. Something inventive I have never seen before.
Amy Matthews, chief experience officer, Hearts & Science
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
An archaeologist. My dad used to read me a book about Greek mythology which I was obsessed with. And then I saw Indiana Jones for the first time, and I knew it had to be.
A favourite childhood memory
The majority of my favourite memories revolve around food. I used to hate going to the supermarket with my parents to do The Big Shop until the day that my mum started giving me a pink iced bun which I would happily eat while swinging my legs in the trolley. A shrewd tactic to stop me tearing around the aisles like the little nightmare I was.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
That your schooldays are the best years of your life. I didn’t really meet “my people” and feel I could truly be myself until I went to University. And some of my greatest friendships are with people I’ve met at work.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
For anyone that was in primary school in the mid-late 80s/early 90s, as I was, the answer has got to be the same: British Bulldog. Became a national scare story and was banned from lots of schools, including mine.
What were you like at 15?
Anxious – that made my teenage years a bit tough at times and it was when my continuing relationship with anxiety really took hold.
Favourite lesson
Religious Studies (RS), which I studied all the way through school, including at A-Level. I always loved learning about other cultures, and the A-Level was a blend of Ancient History and Philosophy, which was a dream come true for 3-year-old me.
Worst lesson
Chemistry – too hard. We also once got a class detention because someone stole some malachite from the Chemistry labs. This continued for a week until it was anonymously returned.
Your school persona (joker, nerd, leader, sporty..)
Personas at my school were almost entirely defined by the music you listened to. I was very much an indie kid. I’ve not stopped wearing my Adidas Gazelles since.
Favourite ad
“Flat Eric” – Levi’s. Such an era-defining ad and felt like it really broke the mould. Such a great track as well. I even had a yellow fluffy pocket (official merch) that you could sew onto the back of your Levis.
First song you became obsessed with
I feel that people often have two answers for this question, the one that makes you sound like you were a super cool 8-year-old, and the real one. I’m going to give you the real one. Too Many Broken Hearts by Jason Donovan.
First job
I was a runner for a post-production company in Soho during the school holidays. Having an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the Soho drinking establishments put me in good stead in my 20s.
What do you miss about being a child?
I recently read that Gen Zs hate Millennials (especially Geriatric Millennials such as myself) going on about how great the 90s were. And while it wasn’t all rosy, of course, for lots of important reasons, the thing I miss is the general sense of optimism that society had at the time.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Tell someone how anxious I was all the time. Mental wellbeing was just not on peoples’ radars when I was growing up, and I became pretty good at hiding it. If I’d have known that I wasn’t alone, that talking about it would really help me out, and that people (for the most part) would be very kind about it, I would have said something a lot sooner.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
Outdoor is such an exciting channel. Woven into our heritage from the 19th century, but always evolving and developing, it’s a channel that celebrates creativity and brilliant ideas.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Smart use of the new opportunities that formats and data provide in the medium, creativity, and of course, proven results that link back to the objectives.
Serhat Ekinci, managing director, UNITE, Omnicom Media Group UK
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
A car mechanic. I always loved cars growing up so when I was nine, I started working in a local garage, fixing up cars. I did that for five years every school holiday and Saturday. It was one of the most enjoyable jobs I’ve ever had!
A favourite childhood memory
I used to be a pigeon fancier and we would compete with other pigeon fanciers in the area. This would involve trying to get their pigeons from their roofs onto ours. If that happened, that pigeon would be ours. We got a lot of pocket money through this, but the thrill and excitement were brilliant!
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
I used to eat a lot of carrots thinking that it would help me see in the dark. It didn’t.
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Probably Buck-buck or “long donkey” in Turkish: where teams of up to 20 people take turns to form a pile (bent over) and the other team jumps on the “donkey”, one at a time. If the donkey can stand the pressure, the first person puts 1 or 2 fingers, if the donkey guesses it right, they can jump, if they fall to the ground, it is the donkey’s turn to jump. It’s hard to explain, look it up!
What were you like at 15?
Like most teenagers, I was rebellious and thought I knew better. I think it was a time when I tried to do lots of different things that didn’t always turn out well, but in reality, I was still looking for who I was.
Favourite lesson
I loved maths, although my maths teacher hated the fact that I would solve problems in my head without having to take any notes or write them down.
Worst lesson
Turkish (equivalent to English [in the UK]), writing in particular! I still don’t like it to this day.
Your school persona (joker, nerd, leader, sporty..
I’d say a leader with nerdiness and sportiness. I was the selected class leader for six years and captain of the football team. I’d say I was a bit of an odd one in that I was quite cheeky but, at the same time, I used to get very good grades.
Favourite ad
“Bir bilmecem var çocuklar” by Eti. It was a 1972 ad from a Turkish brand that had one of the most memorable jingles. It stuck with people for generations and helped the brand become synonymous with biscuits.
First song you became obsessed with
As a child, I’d say Arkadasim Essek (my friend Donkey) by Baris Manco. I still randomly sing it every now and then and my kids love it too. It’s one of those songs that get stuck in your head forever!
First job
My first job was as a car mechanic though I did a stint of shoe polishing for a while until our shoe polishing box was stolen.
What do you miss about being a child?
Fearlessness. As we grow up and have more responsibilities in life, we start being much more cautious and take fewer risks.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
It sounds a cliché but I wouldn’t change anything. Everything happens for a reason and those are what made me who I am now.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
Outdoor is one of the only few channels that reaches all, regardless of who they are and where they live. It is also the channel where anything and everything is possible, from innovation to creativity.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
I want to see innovation and creativity but, more importantly, campaigns that deliver tangible results and outcomes.
Catherine Pronzato, managing director (client solutions), EssenceMediacom
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be my 13 year old brother - he was always my hero growing up.
A favourite childhood memory
Spending endless summers in the local piazza in Italy - eating focaccia, riding scooters, translating English lyrics for my Italian friends and swimming in the sea.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
That my soft toys spoke to each other when I left the room... (they still do).
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Red Rover or Kiss Chase, depending on my mood.
What were you like at 15?
I had two great loves - listening to music and doing my homework. Wild.
Favourite lesson
English Literature.
Worst lesson
Home Economics - learning to cook. My mum still cooks for me and my family now (!).
Your school persona (joker, nerd, leader, sporty..)
Bossy Boots ...
Favourite ad
Yellow Pages - Coffee table one [“French Polishers”] which I feel had serious Weird Science vibes
First song you became obsessed with
Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode – and I have stayed obsessed with it to this day!
First job
Folding rose coloured napkins at dad's restaurant when I was five - I was paid in veal milanese and spaghetti (very 1980s).
What do you miss about being a child?
Time going slowly.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Eat less crisps.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
Working with Gill Reid [partner and head of OOH at EssenceMediacom].
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Business results for clients - proving the hard value of what we do is so important and we don't always do ourselves justice.
Richard Clay, chief strategy officer, Zenith UK
AS A CHILD
What did 3-year-old you want to be when you grew up?
A Thunderbird.
A favourite childhood memory
Holidays in Cornwall with my extended family.
Any childish misconceptions (and when dispelled?)
Not that I can remember, but I’m sure there were lots
What child’s game did you play that would now be outlawed/deemed unsuitable?
Is British Bulldog still played on school playgrounds?
What were you like at 15?
Playing an unhealthy amount of Championship Manager.
Favourite lesson
Politics.
Worst lesson
Art. I would have loved to be good at it, but I was (and still am) hopeless, something which now disappoints my daughters whenever they ask me to draw anything.
Your school persona
Politics.
Favourite ad
“Playstation Double Life.”
First song you became obsessed with
Dirty Old Town by The Pogues (blame the parents).
First job
Waiter in a local pub.
What do you miss about being a child?
School holidays.
Things you’d have done differently if you’d known how life would pan out?
Bought shares in Apple.
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
It is a truly mass media channel, and for anyone interested in how building brands can grow businesses, that’s really exciting.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
To be reminded of the amazing craft, creativity and innovation which makes our industry so interesting.
More judging insights...
Louise Peacocke, chief client officer, Publicis Media
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
The constant reinvention and adoption of new technologies to great effect.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
Work that can accelerate the industry as a whole, as well as benefiting clients’ business.
Chetan Murthy, strategy consultant
AS AN OMA JUDGE
What's the best thing about working in outdoor?
Seeing a campaign go live in OOH is one of the very few occasions my mum has any vague idea what I’m doing in my career.
What are you hoping for in the 2024 entries?
With huge advances in technology across the entire industry, I’m hoping to see how it’s being put to best use in OOH with people at the centre of valuable brand experiences.
Enter and find more information about the 2024 OMAs here.