TL;DR In an increasingly siloed digital world, out-of-home (OOH) campaigns let you target everyone equally and can be super effective at driving results. The brands that win big lean in to the creative idea and bring something memorable to the format.
OOH Ad Revenue in Q2
$2.86 billion = 3% growth
Per the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA)
I still remember the excitement I felt at writing my first billboard. It would be so big! So many people would see it! From their cars!
Circa 2015, it was for a public health campaign called Shoo the Flu that provided free flu vaccines to students in Oakland, CA in support of overall community health. The final billboard ended up being pretty straightforward, but it was still cool to get to see it out in the wild (for maybe .2 seconds driving past).
Working with growth teams, I also appreciate the challenge of chasing the perfectly optimized ad. Targeting allows digital advertisers to pull almost any lever of personalization to reach a specific user at a specific moment with a specific message, however, it also relies heavily on silos and exclusion.
In an increasingly polarized world, OOH is an overlooked way to reach your audience and drive growth. The key is memorability.
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“We can actually influence and move the ‘movable middle.’”
—Anna Bager, OAAA President & CEO, speaking on the value of OOH
IRL events and community-based offerings continue to rise in popularity.
OOH is a creatively driven medium that can take advantage of this trend, while combating the silos that over-targeting can create with digital ad platforms.
It’s always a surprise-and-delight moment when brands leverage the location, type of ad, or an interactive element in some unique way — from billboards with scratch and sniff armpits to beer or ice cream taps.
Here I’ve reflected on a few recent OOH examples I’ve seen in the wild.
Sky banner at the beach
Rating: What a waste
As long as plane traffic isn’t out of control, I don’t mind an XL Elphaba flying across the sky inviting me to Broadway while I’m beach side. But one ad that kept flying by this summer had only a logo with the words: Insights that Impact. What?! Buzzwords are going to drown us all. Creativity matters! What a waste of emissions and money.
Digital billboards for a client
Rating: A fine job
A client recently had digital billboard space to back fill at airports along the east coast. We quickly pulled a few creative options together, making a brand awareness play and incorporating motion to help take advantage of the digital space. Overall, they were good. But I still think about how a truly creative idea could’ve pushed the campaign even further. It’s almost like we needed more insights that impact.
The Guardian’s OOH campaign
Rating: Winner
My favorite new OOH campaign is “The Whole Picture” from The Guardian, which is running now in NYC. I saw it first on the subway and then read up about the billboard pictured below. It works because the creative concept is integral to its execution. The “redacted” copy not only makes it eye catching for passersby, it underscores the point of the larger narrative and invites conversation. My favorite line (not pictured) is: See America’s true colors.
Takeaway: Creative storytelling continues to be an impactful way to stand out from your competitors and reach your target — whether they are already fans or are prospects you didn’t even realize could become obsessed.
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Thanks for reading! I hope you find some joy today.