The classic advertising out there: Out of Home. Even after thorough research, we could not determine who coined this term. However, it can roughly be explained as follows: One sits at home, looks out the window, and sees an advertisement outside. Aside from this somewhat cumbersome definition, it could also be simply called “outdoor advertising,” a term that is probably more familiar. The earliest forms of outdoor advertising are thousands of years old, marking sales locations and travel routes. There must be a reason why this oldest form of advertising still works so well.
- Hard to Define
…and yet we try. Outdoor advertising is advertising in public space, essentially anything that can be used as a medium for one’s message. Although the forms, sizes, and placements seem endless, they can be reduced to a few classics – at least, these are what we recognize as outdoor advertising.
- Billboard Advertising
The flagship of outdoor advertising, the billboards. Large, unmistakable, with wide reach, in your face. It has advantages and disadvantages. Its major advantage is its immense reach; however, its downside is the limited ability to specify the target audience. Of course, one could place tennis balls right outside the tennis hall, but such targeted billboard placement is often expensive and complicated.
- Transit Advertising
Also a flagship, but more mobile. It can be placed on, in, and around vehicles. Its advantage is that it’s more targeted, but the downside is that it’s less prominently noticed.
- The Rest
Here, everything else falls into place and can be more or less effective. If we limit these advertising forms to “everything up to the front door,” it could be door hangers, coasters, stickers, bags, or postcards. The big advantage here: this out of home could even make it into the home and is easily customizable.
Why Does Outdoor Advertising Work So Well?
It’s difficult to answer this question definitively. However, it’s clear that one cannot really escape this form of advertising. There are no significant GDPR regulations here; advertisers don’t need to obtain permissions and can hardly be clicked away, thrown away, switched off, or turned off. Humanity seems to have become accustomed to this form of advertising, as it is less intrusive and especially does not invade privacy. One enters the public space and accepts advertising, which is far less the case in one’s own four walls.
Outdoor Advertising, but Digital
We’ve talked about the millennia-old history of outdoor advertising, and naturally, there have been developments. Imagine an obelisk along an ancient trade route compared to a digital display at a bus stop showing a video about an oat drink. While its fundamental function remains the same, the possibilities have significantly expanded with digital technology. Digital displays can show videos and enable targeted distribution, such as by time of day, location, or weather conditions (for instance, advertising oat drinks in one area, milk beverages in another).
Taking it a step further, soon, very individually tailored advertising forms based on the observers could be possible (partly already the case). These possibilities may seem somewhat eerie today but are technically feasible. If you’re searching for a bike on your smartphone, you might soon see it appearing on various bus station displays.
Also feasible are augmented reality options, which, combined with a smartphone, offer many creative possibilities – for example, with videos that start after you’ve scanned the digital poster or simply placed it in the picture, or even interactive actions on the device.
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