The last few years have been a tale of two channels—connected TV (CTV) and

digital out-of-home (DOOH)—in programmatic advertising.

While streaming numbers have surged since 2020, DOOH fell flat as people worked

from home more and travelled less.

Now, with recent innovations in the space and new opportunities for advertisers, DOOH is rebounding. 

EMARKETER reports that DOOH ad spending in the US will increase 11.2% in 2024 to reach

$3.2 billion USD. In Europe, DOOH is growing even faster, with a forecasted annual growth rate

in 2024 of 14.2% in the UK, 19.5% in France, and 13.7% in Germany. By 2027,

DOOH will comprise 75% of the UK’s total out-of-home (OOH) advertising market.

Despite its monumental growth and many benefits—including high visibility, precise audience targeting,

and dynamic creative capabilities—DOOH is still a relatively new advertising channel, and many

brands aren’t taking advantage of it.

If you or your client is new to DOOH, read on for some DOOH ad examples and tips on how to

create successful DOOH campaigns.

What Is DOOH Advertising and Why Are Advertisers Embracing It?

DOOH is a type of advertising that uses digital billboards, signage, and screens to show ads

in high-traffic areas. These places include shopping malls, bus stops, airports, elevators,

grocery stores, gas stations, and other busy locations. 

Because DOOH combines the flexibility and precision of digital advertising with the broad reach

and visibility of traditional OOH advertising, it has emerged as an ideal method for engaging

audiences beyond their IP addresses and in public places as they go about their daily lives. 

In a 2023 survey from Proximic, 7% of advertisers said DOOH was the most effective ad medium

for brand marketing. In a separate survey from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America

and The Harris Poll, 76% of consumers reported watching a video, dining at a restaurant,

or shopping at a store after viewing a DOOH ad, making DOOH a powerful tool for driving consumer

action and brand engagement.

Although a reported 27% of OOH advertising in 2023 was for local services and attractions,

due to its enhanced targeting, cost-effectiveness, and easy integration with existing multi-channel strategies,

DOOH is increasingly being used by everyone from B2B to travel marketers to do things like target customers

with personalized messaging outside industry conferences or encourage them to explore culinary

hotspots in world-renowned locations.

Types of DOOH Advertising

Although there are many locations where you can place DOOH ads, there are three main

formats to consider when deciding which ones are the best fit for your DOOH campaigns.

Large Format DOOH Ads

True to their name, these types of DOOH ads take up the most space and are strategically

placed in high-traffic areas to maximize visibility and brand awareness.

Types of large format DOOH ads include digital billboards alongside roads or highways,

wallscapes on the sides of buildings, street furniture like benches or bus shelters,

and urban panels above subway entrances.

The main goal of large format DOOH ads is to reach a broad audience, making it an effective

format for product launches, major events, and maximizing awareness.

Place-Based DOOH Ads

This type of DOOH ad is typically found in locations that match the audience’s interests,

such as shopping malls, airports, gyms, universities, medical offices, movie theatres,

office building elevators, and public transit hubs. By selecting locations based on the audience

and leveraging real-time data, advertisers can tailor their messages to fit the environment.

For example, ads for protein shakes often work well in locations like gyms, while quick-service

restaurant ads are better suited to gas stations where consumers could be thinking about

grabbing a quick bite while on the go.

By strategically choosing placements and using programmatic technology, advertisers can use

place-based DOOH ads to connect with the right audience and optimize their ad campaigns

for greater efficiency and return on investment.

Point-of-Purchase DOOH Ads

This type of DOOH ad is designed to influence shoppers at the critical moment when they’re

most likely to make an impulse purchase or be swayed in their decision-making process.

Because of this, point-of-purchase DOOH ads are particularly effective for consumer packaged

goods (CPG) brands—like snacks, beverages, and personal care products—but they also work

well for promoting seasonal products and special offers. These ads are commonly found near

checkout counters, product displays, end caps, entrances, in-store kiosks, deli counters, and gas station pumps.

Benefits of DOOH Advertising

Unlike traditional OOH, DOOH ads are unskippable, appear in contextually relevant environments

without relying on 1st or 3rd-party data, and can even be used for retargeting.

Here are some more benefits of using programmatic DOOH over traditional OOH advertising:

DOOH Advertising Examples and Best Practices

Although DOOH creatives share many similarities with traditional OOH, there are some

specific design considerations to keep in mind when planning your DOOH campaigns.

Here, the StackAdapt Creative Studio team illustrates some DOOH creative best practices

and tips with examples of DOOH ads they designed.

1. Avoid White Backgrounds

In LED technology, white doesn’t carry the same pop or vibrancy as other colours,

so use darker colours to make your messaging, products, and services stand out.

Here’s a great DOOH ad the StackAdapt Creative Studio team mocked up as an example

that uses a dark background to draw attention to Eko’s line of digital stethoscopes.

2. Take Time of Day Into Consideration

Knowing the ideal times you want your ads to appear is important for the ad

messaging and layout creation process. 

For example, a DOOH ad promoting a place to grab ramen—like in this mockup

designed by the Creative Studio team—would be more effective during the lunch hours

and evening commute than at 6 am when people are probably just starting their day

and looking for a quick coffee.

Also, be mindful of what colour palette you use. Rich, bold background colours work

better during the day, while pastel colours are more vibrant at night.

3. Watch Your Font Sizes on Bigger Locations 

With large format DOOH ads, make sure the text is large enough to pass

accessibility standards.

Here’s a DOOH ad example the Creative Studio designed that illustrates the point and

stands out, even on a subway platform.

4. Avoid Button-Style CTAs

Unlike with native and display advertising, there is no click-out action with DOOH ads.

Using a button-style CTA could confuse the viewer.

Instead, include QR codes that consumers can scan for more info—like in this DOOH ad

example for a fictional tourism bus service—or URLs they can type into their mobile

web browser and search for on their own.

5. Use Strong Focal Points   

Busy photos don’t translate well in DOOH ads, so choose graphic elements

with a strong focal point.

Click below for a DOOH ad example the Creative Studio team designed for UK-based

agency MOBSTA that boosted brand awareness and generated over 14 million impressions

with its simple yet stunning design.

Benefits of Programmatic DOOH Advertising

While buying traditional OOH advertising mostly involves direct negotiations

with media owners, the emergence of programmatic DOOH has helped streamline

the process for advertisers wanting to secure ad space in public.

According to EMARKETER, DOOH inventory is increasingly available via DSPs,

and the amount of DOOH ads transacted programmatically is expected to surpass $1 billion USD in 2025.

Experts say that’s because programmatic has democratized the ad-buying process for DOOH,

allowing advertisers to launch and experiment with the channel even if they only have a modest budget.

The ability to easily adapt creative campaigns, reach target audiences globally, and use data triggers

based on location and weather makes adding DOOH to your media mix a no-brainer for marketers

looking to reach a wider audience.

Measuring DOOH Advertising Campaigns

Thanks to advancements in technology and data analytics, it’s easier than

ever to measure the impact DOOH advertising has on your campaign success.

Here are some methods and metrics you can use to understand how your

DOOH ads are performing:

What’s Next for DOOH Advertising?

As anyone who’s seen the mind-bending 3D graphics of Samsung’s recent OOH campaign

can attest, we’re only beginning to see DOOH advertising’s full potential.

Expect advancements in AI to improve forecasting, optimize ad spend, and help advertisers

dynamically adjust their content in real time, augmented reality and interactive elements to

increase engagement and enhance attribution, and programmatic DOOH to continue growing

in popularity due to its reach, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use.

To learn more about DOOH advertising and see some DOOH ad examples in action,

request a demo of StackAdapt.

Source from: Matthew Ritchie. "DOOH Ad Examples and Creative Best Practices", * August 27, 2024*, https://www.stackadapt.com/resources/blog/dooh-advertising-examples/