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What are the different types of OOH?

Exploring Media Formats in Out-of-Home Advertising

OOH encompasses any advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes.

OOH 101

Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising remains a powerful tool in the marketer's arsenal, providing unparalleled reach and impact in an increasingly digital world

This includes billboards, transit ads, street-level displays, and more. The effectiveness of OOH advertising stems from its ability to deliver high-impact messages to a broad audience, capturing the attention of consumers during their daily activities.

OOH advertising offers several benefits such as high visibility, geographic targeting, and the ability to reach a diverse demographic. With advances in technology, OOH advertising has evolved to include digital billboards and programmatic buying, making it a dynamic and versatile option for marketers.

Traditional OOH

Grillo Billboard

BILLBOARDS

One of the most recognizable forms of OOH advertising. Positioned in high-traffic areas, they offer unparalleled visibility and brand exposure. Traditional billboards utilize large, static images and text to convey a message, while digital billboards can display dynamic content that can be updated in real-time.

The key benefits of billboards include their ability to reach a large audience, high frequency of exposure, and the potential for creative, eye-catching designs. They are particularly effective for brand awareness campaigns and promoting local businesses or events.

Patagonia Wallscape

HAND PAINTED MURALS

Hand-painted murals transform walls into vibrant advertising canvases, delivering exceptional visibility and a dynamic showcase for creative messaging. Their striking visuals naturally capture audience attention, encourage social media interaction, and build enduring brand affinity. Often evolving into local landmarks, these murals forge meaningful connections within the community. Additionally, sharing a time-lapse of the mural’s creation amplifies engagement across digital platforms, extending the campaign’s reach and impact.

Wallscape Calvin Klein

WALLSCAPES

These are mounted on buildings in bustling areas and are noticeable from afar. They deliver significant impact inside urban hubs. They are usually in city centers where most other advertising opportunities do not exist which make them stand out. Discover here how the Calvin Klein Wallscape in SoHo has been a standout for decades. 
Wahl Billboard

DIGITAL BULLETINS

Digital bulletins are the most prominent and visually striking digital advertising choice. Typically measuring 14'x48', they cycle through advertisers in a repeating sequence.

Digital billboards need minimal preparation time and can display various messages based on different criteria. They allow your brand to be visible to your target audience throughout the day. Additionally, they offer day parting for highly pertinent messaging.

Bay Equity Home Loans Poster Suffolk

POSTERS

Posters are smaller-sized bulletins usually 24'x12' and are located chiefly in commercial and industrial areas on major local roads.

Located on major arterials and surface streets, Posters allow advertisers to completely saturate their chosen markets in a cost-efficient way. Posters, positioned along secondary roadways, and in urban areas extend brand awareness on the local level. This smaller canvas allows these signs to infiltrate in local neighborhoods, where Billboards are zoned out. Available in digital and static formats.

Kohler New York

SPECTACULARS

These are grand and intricate, unique structures specifically crafted to capture maximum attention with striking special effects like neon lights, fiber optics, illuminated panels, 3-D anamorphic displays, message boards, three-dimensional sculpted elements, incandescent bulbs, strobes, transparencies, and various digital graphics.

Spectaculars are larger than life, often equating to the size of several standard billboards combined.

They create excitement, raise awareness, and signal that a brand is significant. Typically reserved for prestigious brands aiming to stand out, they consistently become ideal content for social media sharing.

Transit

 

Transit advertising includes ads placed on buses, subways, trains, and other forms of public transportation. These ads are strategically positioned to capture the attention of commuters, making them an effective way to reach a mobile audience.

 

Features of transit advertising include high-frequency exposure, the ability to target specific routes, and the opportunity to engage with a captive audience. This type of advertising is particularly beneficial for brands looking to establish a strong presence in urban areas and among daily commuters

University Health Bus

BUSES

Bus ads engage commuters and individuals throughout their daily routines. Bus advertising is prominently visible and frequently reaches people. It can target daily commuters, whether they are walking, driving, or using public transit.

Bus advertising is customizable and adaptable, making it ideal for local, regional, and national campaigns. Buses act as mobile billboard advertisements, capturing the attention of city-goers from transit users to pedestrians in the busiest areas. 

With eye-catching bus wraps or interior ads, they ensure your message resonates within the urban environment. Bus advertising seamlessly integrates into our daily outdoor experiences, offering distinct visibility from exterior to interior bus ads that stand out from other media formats.

Tia Metro Rail

RAIL

Rail Advertising offers several key benefits, including high visibility and reach, cost-effectiveness, captive audience engagement, and the ability to target a specific demographic. Rail advertising is great at reaching people on a daily commute for an extended time. Rail riders are typically employed with high household incomes.  

Atlantic Records New York Subway

SUBWAY & METRO

Subway/metro advertising offer a dynamic canvas for brands to engage with urban audiences effectively. These subway and train advertising options provide unparalleled visibility, targeted reach, and uninterrupted attention, making them indispensable tools for marketers. Subways are a key part of any city they are in and become critical for those who use it everyday at multiple points daily. 

R.M. Williams Bus Shelter

BUS SHELTERS

Bus Shelters provide curbside positioning for heightened visibility among pedestrians and motorists, usually along main roads of metropolitan markets. They are seen by everyone on the roads, have long dwell time and are in high traffic areas.

Betfred Street Furniture

STREET LEVEL

Street-level advertising involves placing ads at eye level in pedestrian-heavy areas, such as on benches, kiosks, and bus shelters.

Hudson Yards Digital Urban Panel

URBAN PANELS

Urban Panels are backlit showcases located on the inner perimeter of sidewalks, facing outward from parking lots and other locations in high-density urban areas. Used to reach pedestrian and vehicular traffic in shopping, tourist, and downtown areas. They are usually in proximity to businesses and entertainment venues.

Grocery Store Signage

IN-STORE

In-store advertising includes displays, posters, and digital screens within retail environments.

These formats are effective for targeting consumers during their daily routines and shopping experiences. Benefits include the ability to deliver timely, contextually relevant messages and the potential for high engagement due to proximity to the point of purchase.

Experiential Marketing: Creating Memorable Brand Experiences

Experiential marketing involves creating interactive and immersive experiences that allow consumers to engage with a brand on a personal level. 

 

The primary benefit of experiential marketing is its ability to create lasting emotional connections with consumers, fostering brand loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion. These experiences are memorable and often generate significant social media buzz. Millennials love experiential activations and it turns them into lifelong customers who can trust your brand.

 

Brand Activation

BRAND ACTIVATIONS

A brand activation event is a marketing approach designed to deliver impactful, interactive experiences that connect audiences directly with the brand. By inviting participation and fostering authentic engagement, these events drive brand awareness, cultivate loyalty, and inspire advocacy—resulting in lasting, meaningful relationships with target audiences. It typically is in one location where fans come to engage with a brand.
Custom Event

POP-UP EVENTS

A pop-up event is a short-term activation created to deliver an immersive and memorable experience. Hosted in unexpected or unconventional venues, these activations spark excitement, drive immediate engagement, and inspire curiosity. Pop-ups can take many forms—ranging from retail showcases and celebrity appearances to product launches and a million more things—each designed to leave a lasting impression and connect directly with audiences.
American Greetings

PRODUCT SAMPLING

Product sampling delivers impactful benefits by elevating brand awareness, strengthening customer loyalty, and boosting sales. When consumers can try a product firsthand, it breaks down barriers to purchase, builds trust, and drives authentic engagement—often resulting in repeat purchases and enthusiastic recommendations that amplify a brand’s reach.

Guerrilla Marketing:

Unconventional Tactics for Maximum Impact

 

Guerrilla marketing uses unconventional and often low-cost tactics to create high-impact advertising campaigns. This can include street art, flash mobs, and creative installations that surprise and engage the public. 

 

The key attribute of guerrilla marketing is its ability to generate significant attention and buzz with minimal investment. These campaigns are highly creative, making them memorable and shareable, which can lead to viral success. We have millions of Guerrilla options and below are just a few. 

Beatles Projection

2D PROJECTIONS

2D Projections are great for getting into any area of a city with a campaign. A brands message is projected onto a flat surface like the side of a building. It stands out as it lights up the city sky with something unexpected, creating a memory for any brand. 
completed Deep Eddy Sidewalk 3d

SIDEWALK DECALS

Sidewalk Decals are can't miss decals fixed to busy sidewalks. They're great for directing foot traffic to a store opening or upcoming event. They draw the eye and attention of all those on the street. 
Bike 5

STREET TEAMS

Street Teams are a group of brand ambassadors that engage with potential consumers with conversations, giveaways, and promotions. They bring the brand to people and make authentic connections which help brands grow lifelong customers.

Matching Each Format Is Key For Success 

An OOH Specialist Can Help

 

Choosing the right type of OOH advertising is crucial for the success of any campaign. Each format has its unique strengths and is suited to different marketing objectives and target audiences.

Consulting with an OOH specialist, such as Wilkins Media, can help brands navigate the complexities of OOH advertising. Specialists provide valuable insights, strategic planning, and execution, ensuring that campaigns achieve maximum impact and return on investment.

The OOH Agency Playbook

Learn More about OOH & the Latest Trends in the Industry.

Check out our weekly blogs and handpicked resources for media agencies below. 

Why Media Buyers Should Partner with OOH Specialists

Partner with Wilkins Media to navigate the complexities of out-of-home advertising, maximize ROI, and enhance your media campaigns with strategic expertise and strong market relationships.

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A Guide to OOH Media Buying for Agencies

Wilkins Media can help Media Buyers at advertising agencies buy and plan OOH, Billboards, and outdoor advertising. And OOH Specialist can help media buyers

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Why you need OOH in your Media Mix

Discover how out-of-home advertising enhances your media mix, boosts engagement, amplifies digital performance, drives brand awareness and increases ROI across all channels.

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