What Is Oversized Marketing?

05/06/2025 Katrina Leung Optimize your media budgets

Oversized marketing started to become a thing in the advertising world. We're not talking about your average billboard. We're talking about a sneaker the size of a tram stop. A lipstick tube that towers over a crosswalk. A CGI mascara brush that seems to comb through an actual MTR carriage. This form of "OOH advertising" takes up physical space and mental space. But what exactly is oversized marketing, and why should Hong Kong brands consider it?

Let’s break it down.

So, What Exactly Is Oversized Marketing?

Oversized marketing is when brands blow up everyday products—physically or digitally—to absurd proportions and place them in unexpected public spaces. These can be:

Real-world installations, like a giant coffee cup you can walk under
Or digital illusions, like a shampoo bottle pouring bubbles over Times Square (or in our case, Causeway Bay)

Sometimes it's called FOOH (Fake Out-Of-Home) when it’s done digitally. The result? People stop. Snap photos. Share online. And just like that, your brand isn’t just noticed—it’s remembered.

Why Oversize Marketing Works

There’s a reason brands across industries are leaning into oversized visuals—they trigger a reaction that smaller ads just can’t.

Here’s why this approach is so effective:

1. It Stops People in Their Tracks

We’re used to seeing ads everywhere—but not like this. A sneaker the size of a car or a coffee cup you can walk under? That’s the kind of unexpected moment that makes people pause, take out their phones, and talk.

2. It Turns Passive Viewers into Active Participants

Oversized marketing is immersive by nature. Whether it’s something you can physically interact with or a hyper-realistic digital scene, the audience isn’t just watching—they’re part of the story.

3. It’s Made for Sharing

Today, attention lives on social media. Oversized advertising campaigns are designed to go beyond the street and straight into your feed. When something looks this out-of-the-ordinary, people want to post about it.

4. It Gives Your Brand a Bigger Personality

Supersizing your product isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a statement. It says, “We’re confident, creative, and not afraid to think differently.” That kind of boldness sticks in people’s minds.

Real Oversized Marketing Examples That Nailed It

Let’s look at a few creative campaigns that made this style of marketing famous:

Vita Ya Shi Xiang Lemon Tea Bus Shelter

Let's begin with an example from home! To promote their new Lemon Tea, Vitasoy turned a regular bus stop in Tsim Sha Tsui into an interactive, sensory playground. They installed a giant bottle of lemon tea at the bus shelter, launched touchscreen mini-games, and even diffused the scent of fresh lemons to create a fully immersive brand moment.

Visitors could snap photos, win tasting samples, and literally smell the product before they even took a sip. It was fun, quirky, and the perfect example of how oversized marketing can engage multiple senses.

Lego x F1 x Ferrari

To celebrate the Formula 1 season, LEGO built a life size Ferrari SF-24 entirely out of LEGO bricks—and brought it on a tour around Hong Kong. One morning, it casually rolled into the West Kowloon district alongside members of the Official Ferrari Owners’ Club.

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A post shared by Blackbird Concessionaires (@blackbirdferrari)

Wherever it went, it drew a crowd. People stopped to take photos, post videos, and marvel at the craftsmanship. The replica blended pop culture, engineering, and playful imagination.

Rhode's Oversized Skincare in Campaign Visuals

Rhode, the skincare brand by Hailey Bieber, used an oversized collection of her new line of products in campaign photos to create instant visual impact. The giant lip tube appeared next to models in clean, minimalistic settings, playing up the sleek, glossy aesthetic the brand is known for.

The contrast between the oversized product and everyday surroundings made the imagery bold, memorable, and endlessly shareable—proof that you don’t need a physical activation to go big.

Jacquemus’ Handbag Cars

Lastly, an FOOH example. During Paris Fashion Week, Jacquemus dropped a series of viral visuals featuring tiny cars shaped like its iconic handbags cruising through the city. The videos weren’t real—they were digitally created FOOH content—but they looked convincing enough to blur the line between reality and fiction.

Want to Try Oversize Marketing? Start Here

Whether you're launching a product or just want to make a statement, here’s how to do it right:

Start with a product that pops
Choose something visually iconic—a shoe, a bottle, a phone—then ask: what if it were 30x bigger?
Go physical or digital
Physical = immersive, tactile, unforgettable. Digital (FOOH) = flexible, budget-friendly, viral-ready.
Pick the right spot
A giant bubble tea cup in front of SOGO? Perfect. A massive speaker hovering over Lan Kwai Fong on Friday night? Even better.
Work with people who get the format
Oversize ideas need good execution—whether that’s logistics for a real-world setup or skilled motion design for CGI ads.