Media Agency Group Delivers Bold Out of Home Campaign for Ricky Gervais and Dutch Barn Vodka
A Disruptive Approach to Vodka Marketing
Recently at Media Agency Group, we partnered with Dutch Barn Vodka and Ricky Gervais to roll out a 2025 campaign designed to elevate brand awareness and reinforce the vodka brand’s new tagline, “Positively different”. The campaign aimed to position Dutch Barn as a disruptive force within the UK vodka market, reflecting the brand’s playful, counter-category approach.
From the outset, MAG advised that creative assets could be extended across multiple channels (OOH, social, digital, PR, and influencer platforms for example), maximising reach and engagement. Before a single out of home site went live, the campaign had already generated over 100 million impressions online, accompanied by extensive global press coverage.
From Online Buzz to Physical Impact
With the online momentum secured, MAG moved to deliver the campaign in physical environments. Out of home advertising in London was a key component, using bold placements across both London Underground and bus formats to reach commuters and city dwellers.
The London rollout offered high-frequency visibility along key travel and shopping routes. Digital and static formats were carefully selected to intersect with everyday commuter flows, ensuring repeated exposure for audiences across the capital. Buses provided a mobile, high-density approach, allowing the Dutch Barn creative to reach both central and suburban locations.
Creative Controversy and Compliance
The campaign’s creative was designed to be eye-catching and slightly provocative. The initial hero creative featured Ricky Gervais holding a glass of Dutch Barn with the copy, “One day, you’ll be underground for good”. Transport for London (TfL) requested modifications, citing concerns that the messaging could be interpreted as encouraging excessive drinking.
MAG worked closely with Dutch Barn to adjust the creative while retaining the campaign’s humorous and disruptive tone. A comparison between the approved creative and the original “banned” version offered a lesson in navigating OOH guidelines, demonstrating how compliance and creativity can coexist without diminishing impact.
Multi-Channel Amplification
MAG’s strategy ensured that the OOH campaign was part of a wider omnichannel plan. Assets were shared online, on social platforms, and in PR initiatives, leveraging the attention generated by the initial controversy. This integrated approach amplified awareness, reinforcing Dutch Barn’s position as an unconventional and playful brand in the UK vodka category. By using multiple touchpoints, MAG created a layered campaign that built recall and maintained visibility across regions where both local and city audiences intersect.
Lessons from the Dutch Barn Campaign
From MAG’s perspective, the campaign illustrates several key principles for high-impact out of home advertising. Using bold creative, understanding compliance requirements, and integrating physical and digital channels allows a campaign to capture attention and sustain engagement.
Transit and tube advertising were central to this success, demonstrating how high-frequency placements during dwell time and commuter flows can reinforce brand messages. The campaign’s mix of static, digital, and moving formats ensured that Dutch Barn remained visible, memorable, and part of the broader festive conversation.
Turning Rejection into Opportunity
The Ricky Gervais x Dutch Barn Vodka campaign exemplifies how strategic OOH placement, coupled with creative flexibility, can convert initial barriers into publicity and reach. MAG’s involvement showcased the power of integrating creative, media, and compliance expertise to deliver a campaign that resonates across both physical and digital spaces.
By the time Londoners saw the ads on buses and tube platforms, the campaign had already secured attention online, creating a rare alignment of buzz, press, and in-person impact. For MAG, this demonstrates how transport-focused Out of Home campaigns can drive exceptional engagement for brands seeking to stand out in competitive categories.