Creating the Impossible Ad with AI: How Tombras Revolutionized OOH Advertising

At Social Gains, we’re always on the lookout for innovative marketing campaigns that push the boundaries of what’s possible. Today, we’re diving into an incredible case study that showcases the power of AI in advertising. Buckle up as we explore how creative agency Tombras used Google AI to create an “impossible” out-of-home (OOH) campaign for moving and storage company PODS.

The Challenge: An Impossible Brief

As part of Google’s AI Lighthouse program, Tombras was tasked with conceiving and executing a campaign that seemed impossible without AI. Their response? “The World’s Smartest Billboard” – an OOH campaign featuring real-time, location-specific copy displayed on PODS moving trucks as they drove through New York City.

The scale of this project was staggering. Imagine creating unique, relevant copy for hundreds of neighborhoods across all five boroughs of New York City. It’s a task that would typically take months of research and writing. Tombras did it in just 12 days.

Harnessing the Power of AI

To tackle this mammoth task, Tombras turned to Gemini for Google Workspace. Here’s how they leveraged AI throughout their creative process:

1. Brief Building

The team began by feeding Gemini a wealth of data, including:

• External data: Google reviews, podcast transcripts, industry reports
• Internal data: Client briefing transcripts, marketing data, audience insights

With this information, Gemini generated a comprehensive 27-page brief. The Tombras team then worked with the AI to distill this into a focused, actionable 3-page document.

2. Insight Discovery

During the brief-building process, the team uncovered a crucial insight from a “How I Built This” podcast episode featuring PODS founder Peter Warhurst. He mentioned that PODS containers had always served as the brand’s most effective billboards. This spark of inspiration led to the concept of turning the containers into smart, location-aware billboards.

3. Copywriting at Scale

To create thousands of lines of copy, Tombras used a combination of AI and human creativity:

• They provided Gemini with example copy and brand guidelines
• Used role-playing prompts, asking Gemini to adopt personas like “a 23-year-old living in a specific neighborhood”
• Iteratively refined outputs, using the best lines to generate new batches

The result? Over 6,000 lines of copy, each tailored to a specific New York City neighborhood.

4. Real-Time Customization

Tombras built an API using Google Cloud Vertex AI, Gemini, Maps, Sheets, and Cloud Run functions. This allowed them to combine headline data with real-time location information, displaying the perfect copy as PODS trucks moved through the city.

The Results: Impossible Made Possible

The campaign’s impact was immediate and significant:

• 60% increase in PODS website sessions
• 33% increase in quote requests in the New York City area
• The biggest weekly year-over-year lift in New York for PODS in years

In just 29 hours, the PODS truck covered 299 neighborhoods across all five boroughs, delivering hyper-relevant messages to potential customers throughout the city.

Lessons for Marketers

The success of this campaign offers several key takeaways for marketers:

1. AI as a Collaborative Tool

Rather than replacing human creativity, AI enhanced it. As Ryan Edwards, Chief Digital Officer at Tombras, noted: “There’s a misconception that AI can replace positions in some cases… But in reality, it made our team work much closer together in ways we hadn’t before.”

2. Rapid Iteration and Scaling

AI allowed Tombras to generate and refine ideas at an unprecedented speed and scale. What would have taken months was accomplished in less than two weeks.

3. Data-Driven Creativity

By feeding Gemini a wealth of data, Tombras was able to uncover insights and generate ideas that may have been missed through traditional methods.

4. Real-Time Personalization

The campaign showcases the potential for hyper-personalized, context-aware advertising that responds to real-world conditions in real-time.

The Future of AI in Advertising

For Tombras, this project was just the beginning. They’ve since built their own AI suite of custom applications for their teams and clients, applying the lessons learned from the PODS campaign across their portfolio.

Avinash Baliga, Executive Creative Director at Tombras, sees immense potential in AI’s ability to capture brand voice and tone: “Voice and tone have always been slightly ephemeral… The fact that we could get a machine to be in on that exercise was really surprising. That’s going to be really interesting going forward.”

Conclusion: AI as a Game-Changer for Creative Agencies

The Tombras PODS campaign is a shining example of how AI can amplify human creativity and make the impossible possible. At Social Gains, we’re excited to see how agencies and brands will continue to push the boundaries of what’s achievable with AI-powered marketing.

As we move forward, it’s clear that the agencies and marketers who can effectively harness AI tools like Gemini will have a significant advantage. They’ll be able to create more personalized, timely, and impactful campaigns at a scale previously unimaginable.

If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve and explore how AI can transform your marketing efforts, the Social Gains community is here to help. We’re constantly sharing the latest tools, techniques, and case studies to help businesses achieve real results in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.