Ben Baker, APAC Managing Director, Vistar Media
As the summer holidays draw to a close and life across the country picks up again, there’s one event that captures the nation’s attention: the Australian Open.
With more than 1.2 million fans filling Melbourne Park and nearly two billion viewers tuning in worldwide, the tournament has evolved far beyond sport. It transforms Melbourne into a city alive with movement, energy, culture and connection, where people are constantly on the move, social and deeply engaged with their surroundings.
For marketers, the Australian Open offers a rare opportunity to step out of crowded digital spaces and connect with audiences in the real world through out-of-home (OOH). This platform has long been an integral part of cultural moments, reaching people where they live, move and engage. With the addition of programmatic technology, that connection becomes even more powerful. Advertisers can now respond to audiences in real time, delivering timely and relevant messages that ensures it resonates with maximum impact.
Targeting the Australian Open audience
During the Australian Open, the whole city turns into an extension of the excitement happening within the stadium. Everyone gets caught up in the atmosphere, foot traffic surging across the CBD, Southbank, Federation Square and major transit lines. Locals, tourists and fans flow through the city, often with intent to dine, shop or socialise.
In this kind of environment, static placements and broad demographic targeting simply aren’t enough. Marketers need a channel that’s responsive to where people are and what they’re doing. And programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) delivers exactly that.
Using behavioural and location data from partners like Foursquare and Eyeota, brands can activate messaging that responds to real-world conditions. That means reaching fans on their way to the grounds, engaging airport arrivals or aligning with commuter routes at peak times. It ensures that creatives turn from passive exposure to active, responsive storytelling.
Creative that moves with the crowd
Sport moves quickly, and so do its audiences. For a creative to resonate, it needs to evolve as the event unfolds. Dynamic creative makes that possible, allowing brands to tailor messaging to the time of day, the location, the weather or updates from the tournament itself.
Rather than repeating the same message across a two-week campaign, marketers can deploy a range of contextually relevant creatives that change with the moment. Countdown moments ahead of key matches or updates based on player progress, these simple but tactical adjustments ensure campaigns feel embedded in the moment, reflecting the energy of the event rather than sitting alongside it.
Real-time agility to match the moment
Sport is emotional. Matches turn, stories shift, and sentiment can change in an instant. The brands that stand out are those agile enough to move in sync.
pDOOH makes this possible, giving marketers the ability to launch, update, or pause campaigns instantly. When a local favourite wins, creatives can pivot to celebrate. When match schedules or weather conditions change, messaging can follow suit.
With research indicating 76% of consumers take action after seeing a DOOH ad – whether it’s through searching, visiting a store or making a purchase – this level of agility is essential during major cultural moments like the Australian Open, when attention and intent are at their peak.
The summer moment is a time to act
The Australian Open represents a rare convergence of cultural relevance, mass attention and city-wide movement – but more than that, it lands at a time when Australians are still in summer mode, primed to spend and engage.
For retailers and brands, this is a marketing sweet spot, as intent is high, foot traffic is abundant, and consumers are actively looking to re-engage.
pDOOH empowers brands to show up in these high-intent environments with relevance and agility. Whether it’s surfacing retail offers near shopping centres, driving dining decisions enroute to a match, or aligning with key commuter and tourism flows, pDOOH ensures your message is in the right place at the right time.
With the city alive and attention at its peak, now is the time for marketers to step into action.