Brands have been using user-generated content (UGC) for social media campaigns since programs and apps like Instragram and Snapchat gained popularity.

Advertisers quickly learned UGC about brands is created and shared by their customers, whether those brands or consumers recognize it or not. So smart brands are creating stories and moments to authentically connect with customers.

Photos and videos are the most popular forms of UGC. Fifty-four percent of adult internet users regularly create and share photos and videos, according to Pew. Photos are also the most common form of UGC created by Millennials, according to Statista.

Marketers are taking this trend on the road, literally, using UGC for OOH campaigns.

Apple ‘Shot on iPhone’

Apple began to use UGC to promote its iPhones, especially the smart phone’s camera. The “Shot on iPhone” campaign started in 2015, featuring photography made by people on their iPhones. The images are inspiring and emphasize the grand possibilities of an iPhone.

Following the popularity of the OOH campaign, Apple expanded it to Instagram, where users can now tag photos with the hashtag
#ShotOnIphone to have them considers for curation.

The latest phase released this year, “Selfies on iPhone X,” promotes the phone’s TrueDepth camera and Portrait Lighting feature.

‘This is Us’ in Times Square

Part of a promotion to hype the season premiere of the hit NBC show “This Is Us,” fans were encouraged to share images of their real moments in life.

Images uploaded via the Share Your Moment microsite were curated and displayed on a digital billboard in Times Square.

The goal: to bring the entire “This Is Us” family together on one platform, “creative a timeless memory to share with family and friends.”

This dynamic campaign is in the running for a 2018 OBIE Award.

104.7 ‘Show Your Fish’

Atlanta radio station 104.7 The Fish wanted to better engage current listeners and connect with its community. The station encouraged Atlantans to creatively portray its Fish logo and share via social media using #ShowYourFish.

Images submitted, featuring the Fish logo on pizza, drawn in the sand, and other creative depictions, were featured on digital billboards throughout the Atlanta market.

This engaging campaign is also a finalist in the 2018 OBIE Awards program.