They Can't Arrest This Billboard
Greenpeace Ocean Outdoor
ROLE
On-set supervision
Motion direction
Client presentation
Keying & Roto Scoping
VFX compositing
Colour grading
DOOH optimisation
Final delivery
OVERVIEW
They Can't Arrest This Billboard is an award-winning Greenpeace campaign that moved climate protests from the risks of the streets to the visibility and safety of digital billboards. Featuring real activists across London, Birmingham and Manchester, the campaign transformed public advertising spaces into powerful acts of protest without placing activists at risk.
I was involved throughout the project, from pre-production planning and on set post supervision to final DOOH delivery. Working closely with the Creative Director, Managing Director and Sustainability Lead, I helped ensure the creative vision was realised across every execution.
Working from studio shot greenscreen footage, I led the post-production process, integrating each activist into 22 unique billboard locations through keying, rotoscoping, compositing, colour grading and VFX. Every execution was carefully matched to its environment while meeting Ocean Outdoor's technical standards for large format digital displays.
Before the shoot, I tested sign sizes, framing and shooting angles to optimise the final billboard executions. During production, I advised on the greenscreen setup to ensure even lighting and cleaner keys. I also performed live frame rate and keying tests in AE, validating the footage before post-production.
Position & Poster Size Testing
R&D + BTS
A1 Portrait wide angle
A2 Landscape wide angle
A3 Landscape wide angle
A3 Landscape zoom in
Following camera tests, we chose an A1 portrait protest sign as it offered the best fit for activists of varying heights while maintaining clear, readable messaging within the billboard composition.
IN-POST
Keying > Roto > Compositing > Grade
Testing at Ocean Outdoor
Live Across the UK
London x Birmingham x Manchester
Press Coverage
Case Studies
Featuring
Ocean Outdoor *Gold Award*
The Drum
Ads of the World
OOH Today
LBB
AV Magazine
Decision Marketing
Billboard Insider
Marketing Beat
Credits
Creative Direction
Alexandru Vasile
Adam Ablo, Susie Booth
Sam Hinckley, Chris Lawlor
Photography
Rob Streeter
Senior Retoucher
Nick Swaffield
IMPACT
Following its launch, They Can't Arrest This Billboard received widespread recognition for its innovative use of DOOH as a platform for activism. The campaign was awarded Gold in the Non-profit Category at the Ocean Outdoor Digital Creative Competition, recognising its creative approach to delivering a powerful social message through public media.
The campaign was featured across leading creative, advertising and outdoor media publications, including The Drum, Ads of the World, LBB, DecisionMarketing, Marketing Beat, AV Magazine, Billboard Insider and Ocean Outdoor. Beyond the creative industry, the campaign also contributed to a wider national conversation around the right to protest, with related coverage appearing in mainstream publications such as Metro and The Independent.
The campaign generated 40+ media mentions, reaching an estimated 17 million people, alongside 300,000+ social impressions and 17,000+ social engagements. More importantly, it demonstrated how thoughtful creative direction, VFX and digital out-of-home technology can transform public spaces into a platform for meaningful social impact, enabling Greenpeace to communicate its message at scale while keeping activists safe.
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