The Manchester Screen, the UK’s biggest combined digital and static billboard and the second biggest in Europe, has expanded its creative capabilities as it positions itself at the forefront of a new era for outdoor advertising, where brands are looking beyond traditional billboards to create campaigns that capture attention, spark conversation and generate social engagement.
Having spent the past year investing in new formats and creative opportunities, the landmark, which wraps around the Victoria Warehouse in a prime location for traffic to and from Salford Quays, Manchester City Centre, MediaCity and Old Trafford’s football and cricket grounds, now offers one of the UK’s most comprehensive OOH advertising canvases, combining its full-motion digital screen with more than 10,000sqm of activation space, large-format banner wraps, rooftop activations, bespoke creative structures and projection capabilities.
Katie Smith, managing director of The Manchester Screen, said that the expansion reflects a wider transformation in the outdoor advertising industry, with OHH campaigns increasingly conceived as creative experiences rather than standalone advertising placements.
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She added that advertisers are placing increasing value on creativity, flexibility and campaigns capable of delivering impact across multiple channels rather than relying solely on audience reach.
“The role of outdoor advertising has changed dramatically, and this is reflected in the UK’s OOH revenue reaching a record £1.43bn in 2025 with further growth predicted this year,” she explained.
“Significantly, its being driven by digital and advertisers increasingly combining multiple outdoor formats and campaigns that dominate an entire location to create social content and immersive experiences rather than a single billboard.
“Reach will always matter, but today brands are looking for campaigns that people actively engage with, a large amount of research now shows us that the moments consumers remember and therefore create brand loyalty are the ones where they experience the brand, they create an occasion to remember.”
The Manchester Screen has continually evolved its offering over the past 12 months, introducing full-motion capability, expanding its physical activation space and developing a broader suite of creative formats that allow advertisers to combine digital content with large-scale physical installations.
Smith added: “We’ve invested in creating a canvas that gives brands a far greater creative freedom. Instead of being confined to one advertising format, they can now transform an entire location to tell a much bigger story. That’s exactly what sits behind our ‘Beyond the Billboard’ philosophy and our promise to create without limits; giving people the freedom to imagine campaigns that simply wouldn’t have been possible before.
“We believe outdoor advertising is no longer just about visibility – it’s about creating moments that earn attention, generate conversation and leave a lasting impression.”
The investment has also been supported by the appointment of business director Ben Poulter, whose experience in outdoor media planning and buying has helped brands and agencies maximise the awareness, understanding and creative potential of the site.
He said: “The conversations we’re having with agencies today are very different to those we were having just a few years ago.
“Creative ambition has increased significantly. Brands are thinking much earlier about how outdoor media fits into wider campaigns, from PR and social media through to experiential activity. They’re asking how they can own a space rather than simply advertise within it.
“The most successful campaigns today don’t stop when someone drives past them. They’re designed to create content, encourage sharing and become part of a much wider marketing campaign.”
As campaigns become increasingly ambitious, The Manchester Screen team say they expect demand for integrated outdoor experiences to continue growing “as brands look for new ways to cut through an increasingly crowded media landscape.” The Manchester Screen has worked with several of the world’s biggest brands including: JD Sports, Calvin Klein, David Beckham, O2, Paddy Power, Ninja, Pringles and Slim Chickens.
