Types and Classic Examples of OOH Advertising

As advertising continues to diversify, OOH (Out-Of-Home) advertising formats are becoming increasingly varied. They can be seen on walls, open spaces, and even on vehicles. However, the most captivating are the digital displays and creatively customized OOH advertisements. So, what is OOH advertising, and what are its types and classic examples? Let’s explore.

What is OOH Advertising?

OOH, also known as outdoor advertising, outdoor media, or media advertising, encompasses all types of advertisements seen outdoors. Essentially, any advertisement we encounter outside can be classified as OOH advertising.

Common Types of OOH Advertising

Billboards

Billboards are the most common form we see, generally made with LED light boxes or outdoor LED displays. They are large and small, and have different shapes. They are the preferred display method for many advertisers. Usually we can divide them into the following forms.

Wall-mounted billboards

This type of advertising generally needs to be displayed in combination with buildings. The most common way is to display the advertisement in the blank space of the wall through graffiti, poster posting, installation of outdoor LED displays, etc.

I believe that everyone has seen many strange 3D advertising effects when browsing social software or surfing the Internet, especially in New York Times Square, Chengdu Taikoo Li Commercial Center and other places. In fact, this is also a type of wall-mounted billboards.

Column billboards

What should I do if I want to play an advertisement in a place without support? At this time, the importance of column billboards is reflected. Common column advertisements are single-column billboards and double-column billboards.

The height of column advertisements is generally above 18 meters, and some can even reach 30 or 40 meters. The shape is T-shaped or P-shaped, and it is usually displayed on both sides at the same time. Such height and design form can well avoid some obstacles that block the line of sight, so that more people can see it.

Floor-standing billboards

Floor-standing billboards are usually used in communities, schools and other places. The advantage of using this type of advertisement is that it is relatively simple to build and has a wide range of uses. It can be used as a platform for information release and can also play various commercial advertisements.

Street furniture

Street furniture refers to all facilities standing on the street. It means that newsstands, post booths, street lights, fire hydrants, and even park benches are all street furniture. As the second largest type of advertising, its number is naturally imaginable.

If you accidentally touch a flyer while taking a rest in a park, don’t be surprised, this may be deliberately pasted by some advertisers.

In addition, some LED display manufacturers have thought of combining these facilities with LED displays, so there are a series of products integrated with LED displays, such as LED totems, lamp pole LED displays, and portable digital signage.

They can achieve batch and intelligent control while playing advertisements, greatly reducing the cumbersome steps of traditional advertising forms when changing advertisements.

Public transportation

Public transportation is also a common application area for outdoor advertising. Like bus stations, high-speed rail stations, and airports, we often see various commercial advertisements played by commercial LED displays. Due to the large flow of people in these places, the advertisements placed here can often get a lot of exposure and attention.

Similar to street furniture, LED displays in the field of public transportation are not only used for playing advertisements. Like the traffic induction display screens we often see, it can also direct the direction of vehicle traffic and make vehicles drive more orderly. Or remind the road conditions ahead to avoid some abnormal situations.

Others

In addition to the three types mentioned above, there are some other types of outdoor advertising. For example, by recruiting some college students to send advertising flyers, some co-branded handbags can be printed with logos, slogans, patterns, etc. of different manufacturers. There are also cups and mouse pads that we use to drink water every day, which can be used as a form of advertising.

Some LED display manufacturers even put a thin LED display in backpacks, hats, badges, takeaway boxes, vests, etc. to form a very creative form of advertising.

OOH advertising has created a variety of colorful advertisements. For this reason, we have selected 12 of the most classic OOH advertising cases, which I believe can broaden your thinking.

12 OOH Advertising Examples

Apple

As a world-renowned technology company, Apple never skimps on OOH advertising every year. Although it is currently laughed at as “squeezing toothpaste” on electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, and notebooks, it has created many classic cases in the creativity of OOH advertising.

In 2019, in order to promote AirPods Pro, Apple displayed multiple sets of creative outdoor advertisements on the outdoor LED screens of 17 major flagship stores around the world, especially the giant dancer shape of the Japanese flagship store, which was eye-catching.

Bumble

Bumble created digital ads with a bright yellow background and black text, quickly conveying information and making a lasting impression on viewers.

Compassionate Farming

The Compassionate Farming initiative used public buses in the UK to urge consumers to act on dairy farming issues, effectively leveraging a widespread advertising medium.

Sofi Stadium

Samsung’s installation of a double-sided oval LED screen at Sofi Stadium is a prime example of stadium advertising. Covering 6,500 square meters, it clearly displays events and digital ads.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s innovative billboard consists of 1,760 movable LED screens, creating unique effects and standing out in New York’s Times Square.

Spotify

Spotify Wrapped is a popular marketing campaign initiated by Spotify. The event was promoted everywhere through various billboards in street communities, so that more people are interested in the event and participate in it.

Bupkis

Pete Davidson promoted his semi-autobiographical show “Bupkis” with a humorous 3D billboard in Times Square, depicting a person floating in water.

HBO

HBO made a 3D advertisement for “House of the Dragon” and aired it in Times Square, New York, where there is a huge flow of people, and it received a lot of attention and exposure. After the release, many fans gave it very high praise, and the Rotten Tomatoes rating reached 89%.

McDonald

McDonald’s uses creative outdoor ads extensively in public transit areas. One notable ad in a London community appeared 3D, with a server handing a drink to passersby, attracting many onlookers and photographers.

Amazon

Despite being a major brand, Amazon uses advertising to maintain visibility and relevance. Continuous advertising ensures the brand stays ahead in the rapidly evolving market.

Notion

This creative advertisement that looks like flipping a book is an OOH advertisement made by Notion campaign. They hope to raise people’s awareness of productivity applications through this advertisement. Of course, I personally think that this may be more like promoting a social software.

POND’S

We can clearly see that there is a cleaning expert working hard to clean the pores in the picture. This is a creative advertisement designed by Pond’s, which looks very vivid and impressive.

Conclusion

Combining the unique characteristics of outdoor media with creative design, OOH advertising presents numerous compelling cases. These examples inspire innovative thinking, offering fresh ideas for effective advertising strategies.