WhatsApp’s striking OOH campaign: A blend of design, message, and innovation

WhatsApp recently unveiled a powerful out-of-home (OOH) campaign at one of Mumbai’s billboard clusters, Edge7. This highly visible and impactful campaign, featuring WhatsApp’s key features like “Silence Unknown Callers,” “Meta Verified Badges,” and “Block and Report,” strategically uses OOH advertising to reinforce the app’s focus on user privacy, safety, and trust. 

With billboards in Mahalakshmi showcasing real-world scenarios—such as chefs consulting their phones or everyday users interacting with the app—the campaign succeeds in creating a ‘Surround Effect’. The billboards communicate core WhatsApp features that resonate deeply with users, reminding them of the app’s security and privacy features. 

The success of this campaign lies in its seamless blend of design and messaging. The billboards highlight essential WhatsApp features, such as blocking scammers and identifying trusted businesses, in a way that speaks directly to the user. Coupled with aesthetically powerful displays, the campaign not only attracts attention but also ensures the message sticks with the viewer long after they’ve passed by. 

“Despite their proximity to one another, each billboard is positioned in such a way that they offer distinct viewing angles from different lanes. This careful planning ensures optimal visibility and enhances the aesthetic appeal from every perspective, making Edge7 a prime example of the exclusivity and innovation that RoshanSpace brings to the out-of-home (OOH) landscape in Mumbai,” says Junaid Shaikh, Managing Director of RoshanSpace Brandcom. 

By using concise text and relatable visuals, WhatsApp effectively taps into the daily lives of users, making this campaign a stellar example of how OOH can amplify digital platforms’ messaging in a physical space. With Edge7 as its stage, WhatsApp has not only executed an eye-catching campaign but also reinforced its role as a trusted, user-first app in the Indian market.