GroceryAid has unveiled its first-ever digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising campaign to promote this year's Barcode Festival, using a provocative message designed to celebrate the grocery industry's close-knit community.
The campaign, displayed pro bono on Bauer Media Outdoor's premium large-format digital sites at Brent Cross in North London, features the striking slogan: "If you don't work in grocery, please ignore this billboard."
The creative forms part of a wider multi-channel campaign ahead of Barcode Festival's return on 2 July, when 6,000 people from across grocery retail, wholesale and manufacturing are expected to gather for a day of live music, networking and fundraising.
Rather than focusing on the event itself, the campaign highlights the people it is designed for, using reverse psychology to spark curiosity while reinforcing Barcode Festival's position as an industry-exclusive event.
According to GroceryAid, the approach is intended to celebrate the strong sense of belonging that exists within the grocery sector and the community spirit that has helped make Barcode Festival a fixture in the industry's calendar.
"We wanted to create something that would stop people in their tracks," Megan Harrison, marketing director at GroceryAid, said.
"Barcode Festival is one of the few events created exclusively for grocery people, so we leaned into that in a playful way. The campaign celebrates the incredible community that exists across the industry while creating intrigue through a message that's intentionally not for everyone."
GroceryAid chief executive Kieran Hemsworth said the exclusivity of the event was one of its defining features.
"We regularly receive requests for Barcode Festival tickets from people outside the grocery industry, which is a lovely problem to have," Hemsworth said. "But Barcode is, for now, a festival created exclusively for grocery people.
"Beyond the music and entertainment, Barcode is a unique opportunity for colleagues from across grocery to come together, strengthen relationships and celebrate the industry. This creative is a playful reminder of what makes Barcode special – it's a festival built by grocery people, for grocery people, and one that reflects the strong sense of community that exists across our sector."
Barcode Festival is GroceryAid's flagship summer fundraising event, with proceeds supporting the charity's work providing financial, emotional and practical assistance to grocery industry workers and their families.