Should Prize Draw Advertising Be More Transparent? Loud! OOH Calls for New Standards

With UK consumers estimated to spend an extraordinary £1.3 billion a year on prize draws and competitions, one advertising agency believes the industry needs to think carefully about how these promotions are presented to the public.

Independent out-of-home advertising agency Loud! OOH is calling on UK media owners to introduce voluntary disclosure standards for prize draw and competition advertising, particularly as the company expects outdoor advertising expenditure from the sector to increase substantially.

Loud! OOH has proposed four measures that it believes should become standard practice.

The agency wants the free entry route to be clearly legible on the advertisement itself, rather than hidden away in terms and conditions. It also wants either the odds of winning or the total number of permitted entries displayed alongside the advertised prize.

Where an expensive physical prize such as a house or car is promoted, any available cash alternative should also be disclosed.

Finally, Loud! OOH wants advertising sites to be screened for their proximity to schools and colleges, effectively applying similar precautions to those governing gambling advertising.

The debate comes as the rapidly expanding prize draw industry begins to formalise.

The Government's Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators came into force on 20 May 2026, while around 50 operators subsequently formed the Prize Competition Council in July.

Research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport found that approximately 7.4 million UK adults had entered a prize draw or competition during the preceding year, collectively spending an estimated £1.3 billion.

Loud! OOH founder Jamie Roberts believes outdoor advertising could be particularly valuable to operators because one of the industry's biggest challenges is consumer trust.

Unlike an advertisement appearing privately on someone's phone, a billboard exists conspicuously in public. It is sold through an identifiable media owner, can be seen by thousands of people and can be independently checked.

However, Roberts argues that this visibility brings responsibilities.

“If the free entry route is the only reason a prize draw poster is legal, it should be readable from the top deck of a bus, not buried three clicks into a terms page,” he told That's Business.

Perhaps significantly, Roberts acknowledges that the proposed restrictions could potentially limit business available to his own agency.

His argument is that the out-of-home industry has an opportunity to establish sensible standards before regulation is imposed upon it.

For media owners, advertising agencies and competition operators, that could prove an important point.

The prize draw industry represents a potentially valuable new advertising category. But if greater transparency helps strengthen consumer confidence, responsible advertising standards could ultimately be good for the businesses involved as well as their customers.

For an industry built around the tantalising possibility of winning something extraordinary, trust may turn out to be the most valuable prize of all.

Billboard Advertising Made Affordable: Loud! OOH Launches with Transparent Pricing

New agency Loud! OOH is challenging outdoor advertising norms by publishing transparent billboard prices, helping SMEs discover that outdoor advertising is more affordable than they might think.

For many small businesses, billboard advertising has always seemed like something reserved for big brands with equally big marketing budgets. 

A new independent agency is aiming to change that perception by doing something refreshingly simple, publishing its prices for everyone to see.

Leeds and London-based Loud! OOH has launched with a bold campaign in the heart of Leeds that demonstrates just how affordable outdoor advertising can be. 

Two adjacent 48-sheet billboards on York Street tell the whole story. One states that another agency quoted £650 for the site, while the second reveals Loud! OOH is offering exactly the same billboard for £325.

There are no hidden conditions, no small print and no promotional gimmicks. The campaign is designed to prove that outdoor advertising can be accessible to businesses of every size.

Founder Jamie Roberts, who has spent two decades working in the advertising industry, told That's Business that the traditional process of obtaining billboard prices often discourages potential customers before they even receive a quote.

Business owners typically have to complete enquiry forms, wait for follow-up calls, discuss their requirements and then wait days or even weeks before learning the actual cost. According to Roberts, many lose interest long before they receive a figure.

Loud! OOH has taken a different approach by publishing transparent pricing for billboards, digital outdoor screens, bus advertising, London Underground campaigns and other formats directly on its website. This allows businesses to research costs, compare options and make informed decisions without lengthy sales conversations.

The Leeds campaign was deliberately placed on York Street, where commuters waiting at a nearby bus stop have plenty of time to read both billboards and appreciate the message. Rather than flashing past motorists in seconds, the campaign invites people to compare the prices and question long-held assumptions about outdoor advertising.

The timing also reflects the continued strength of the sector. UK out-of-home advertising generated £1.44 billion in revenue during 2025, while industry body Outsmart reports that the medium delivers an average return of £1.80 for every £1 invested and achieves advertising recall of 79% within a month.

For SMEs looking to raise their profile, these figures suggest outdoor advertising remains a powerful marketing tool. Loud! OOH's launch serves as a reminder that, with greater pricing transparency, billboard advertising could become a realistic option for many businesses that previously believed it was beyond their reach.

As competition for customer attention grows, making advertising simpler, clearer and more affordable may prove to be just as eye-catching as the billboards themselves.

Website: loudooh.co.uk

Pricing: loudooh.co.uk/pricing