The Resurgence of Out-of-Home Advertising

Like the name implies, out-of-home (OOH) advertising describes any place-based media (physical or digital) that people see while out and about. 

Go-to examples of OOH advertising include billboards, posters, and digital place-based media. Here, we’ll break down the state of out-of-home advertising, the industries that will benefit the most from this surge, and some creative tips on how to produce engaging OOH ads.

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Out-of-Home Advertising in the Era of COVID-19

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of out-of-home advertising was uncertain at best. Not only did people go out much less often, but when they did, they were mostly focused on getting back home safely. 

With such a bleak outlook, the industry foresaw changes abound. In fact, the 2020 State of the Industry Advertising Trends predicted a 27% loss in ad spending compared with 2019. In extenuating circumstances, advertisers rushed to amend their contracts to stop or postpone advertising campaigns — but that wasn’t the end of the story.

Learn how to scale your video content. 

While people stayed indoors, content consumption increased across the board, including on social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Time spent on mobile devices in the U.S. on non-voice activities rose from an average of 3 hours and 45 minutes per day in 2019 to more than 4 hours and 15 minutes in 2020, according to Statista. This significant increase created a larger opportunity for marketers to connect with their audience through these digital channels. 

The Resurgence of Out-Of-Home Advertising

As the world made progress in the pandemic and more people went back into the world, marketers needed to balance their marketing strategies and create holistic ways to connect with their audiences, through both digital and more traditional channels. 

Now, many advertisers are running OOH advertisements in tandem with other video marketing campaigns, from social media to streaming. For example, you can maximize your content’s effectiveness by creating OTT/CTV video ads tied to an out-of-home advertising campaign. By showcasing your brand to your audience across different channels, you’ll increase your audience’s familiarity with your brand and product. 

Want to learn more? Video for Performance Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

How Brands Are Stepping Up Their Out-Of-Home Advertising Strategies

To attract and keep consumers’ attention, you need to create effective and engaging advertisements. Some ways you can make the most of your out-of-home advertising campaigns include: 

Storytelling

For consumers, product-focused ads are no longer memorable, and this trend has accelerated after a year of online content consumption. Expect to see more OOH ads that rely on storytelling trends, like freshly popular memes, that appeal to audiences who crave this kind of content.

Mobile Integrations

We’ve established that users are spending more time on their mobile devices than ever before. As they transition back to outside life, brands will push consumers to keep their phones just as active. We predict that we’ll see more ads like this wildly popular Burger King campaign from 2019 titled “Burn the Ad.” This out-of-home advertising campaign enticed users to use augmented reality to “burn” competitor OOH ads using their phones. In exchange, users got a free burger. This OOH ad from Burger King uses augmented reality to blur the lines between digital and traditional advertising, creating a uniquely engaging experience.

Learn more: Social Media Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide

Advanced Tech 

Thanks to new technology, digital billboards, posters, kiosks, and more are available to advertisers. This means your brand can create a digital asset — like photos, graphics, and videos — to capture the attention of your target audience while they’re out and about. 

Out-of-Home Advertising Opportunities for Top Industries 

Some trends — such as these mobile and OOH crossover ads mentioned above — are following consumers from their living rooms out into the world. As the retail world evolves, advertisers must continue reaching customers even as their shopping behaviors continue to shift. 

One way to accomplish this is through digital out-of-home advertising. These advertisements can bring together the best of both worlds of digital and traditional media, capturing your audience’s attention with incredible digital assets while they’re out in the world. Some examples of digital OOH ads are digital billboards, posters, and kiosks. You might have seen some examples of these, like this Ikea spot or this ad promoting HBO’s “House of the Dragon.” 

While we can’t all afford Times Square digital billboards, there are a ton of other OOH video opportunities your brand can get in on. Local digital posters and kiosks, for example, can help drive customers to learn more about your brand. 

Read more: The Ultimate Creative Guide to Ecommerce Video

How To Create Effective Out-Of-Home Marketing Videos 

OOH video ads must be created for a specific purpose and with certain parameters in mind. Limitation fosters creativity, though, so there’s no need to worry — we’ve got some tips to help you make effective OOH video ads: 

1. Include an effective hook. Grab the viewer’s attention right away to keep them watching — there’s a ton of content to consume, so make sure you catch their attention immediately. 
2. Make it concise. OOH videos catch people on the go, so you’ll need to get your message across quickly — so they’ll see it from beginning to end. 
3. Use copy wisely. In general, your video should be focused around visuals, so be savvy about when and how you use text. 
4. Apply clear visuals. OOH videos (typically) don’t have sound, so avoid ads with dialogue or other elements that could confuse viewers. 
5. Encourage your audience to take action. Include a CTA that tells your audience exactly what you want them to do next. 

Want to learn more? 7 Types of Video Production To Elevate Your Business

Out-of-Home Advertising: The Takeaway

Over the last five years, out-of-home advertising has undergone a significant transformation, but the industry overall continues to have incredible opportunities for advertisers. Just like with other advertising channels, storytelling, mobile, and tech trends are at the forefront of OOH media, so taking advantage of those elements can help your OOH ads be even more successful. 

Ready to create OOH ads for your business? QuickFrame can help. Find out more about our streamlined solution to video marketing.