What Is Outdoor Advertising? Ultimate 2025 Guide

When businesses promote their products or services in public spaces, on billboards and posters, for example, that’s what we call “outdoor advertising”. It sits in contrast with, say, digital marketing, which is 100% online.

Many business owners might assume outdoor media advertising is in decline as we spend more and more of our time on computers. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth: the outdoor advertising market is actually growing. It’s expected to reach $9.89 billion in 2025 alone!

Let’s find out why. Let’s also find out if outdoor advertising is the right choice for your business!

What Makes Outdoor Advertising Unique?

Physical, outdoor advertising (or “OOH” ads) might seem less relevant than digital advertising in today’s world, but that’s simply not the case. Outdoor media advertising has several qualities that make it unique:

• Constant visibility - almost half of all internet users use some form of ad blocker. Failing that, they skip ads. However, advertising on billboards, bus wraps, transit shelters, building murals, and more are unavoidable.
• Mass reach - just one outdoor ad can reach thousands, even millions of people over the course of its lifetime, especially if it’s placed in a strategic, high-traffic area.
• Repetition - ads on, say, public transport are more likely to stick with the viewer, as they’re likely seeing them time and time again. An internet ad might only be fleeting, then never seen again. Studies show repeated exposure massively increases brand recall.
• Contextual placement - OOH ads can be placed in spots where the environment reinforces the message. For example, a coffee ad near an office, or movie posters near theaters.
• Captive audience - many outdoor ads (for example, airport displays) reach people in “dwell time” situations when they’re more likely to notice and process the message (not just press “skip”!)

Who Should Consider Outdoor Advertising?

OOH advertising can be extremely effective, but it’s not necessarily a smoking gun for everyone. Some businesses can benefit more from it than others. They are:

• Local businesses - does your business rely on foot traffic? Do you have a restaurant, a café, a gym, or a salon, for example? Outdoor ads are a great way to literally point people to your front door.
• Event organizers - placing outdoor ads in specific areas with an upcoming event (think, a festival or a concert) can be a great way to reach people who might not have seen your ads online.
• Political campaigns - candidates or causes needing rapid visibility in localized areas can benefit from OOH advertising.
• Tourism boards - large visuals are a great way to inspire wanderlust in passersby, especially in airports or public transit.
• Regional brands - consistent outdoor advertising can help to reinforce brand recognition in competitive markets and keep your company top-of-mind.

Another key aspect is audience. Who are you trying to reach? If your ICP is someone who repeatedly moves through a specific geographic area (say, when they’re commuting), then outdoor advertising could be a great option.

The Different Types of Outdoor Advertising

OOH advertising, including outdoor mobile advertising, comes in many shapes and sizes. It’s not all about posters!

Read on to learn about the different types of outdoor advertising techniques you could be exploring:

Billboard Advertising (Static, Digital, 3D)

Did you know that 98% of us see a billboard at least once a week, and almost half of all people say they trust billboard advertising more than social media ads?

Billboards are one of the most recognizable forms of outdoor advertising. We see them on highways and city centers all across the country.

There are three main types:

1. Static billboards - fixed printed designs.
2. Digital billboards - rotate multiple ads. Dynamic content.
3. 3D billboards -  add depth and visual effects to create a more immersive experience.

Transit Advertising (Buses, Taxis, Subways)

During the work week, 83% of commuters see transit ads. These include:

• Bus wraps
• Taxi toppers
• Subway posters
• Interior ads

They offer high visibility in big cities with extensive public transport.

Airport Advertising and High-Traffic Hubs

The great thing about airports and other traffic hubs (like train stations) is that people often have dwell times in these spaces while they’re waiting for their flights/trains. They’re what we call in advertising a “captive audience”. 

These placements reach both local and international travelers, often in premium, high-visibility spaces.

Street Furniture Ads (Benches, Kiosks, Bus Stops)

Many street furniture types we pass every single day are actually prime spots to display brand messages, precisely because we pass them every day. These locations offer close-up visibility to pedestrians and transit users.

Examples include:

• Bus shelters
• Benches
• Information kiosks
• Public toilets

Mall and Supermarket Ads

You can’t reach customers closer to the actual point of purchase than in a store itself. Next time you’re in the mall, you’ll probably notice ads all around you. That will include:

• Posters
• Digital screens
• Floor graphics
• Shopping cart ads

Businesses pay premium prices to advertise in these spaces in the hope they can influence buying decisions in real time.

Guerrilla and Ambient Outdoor Advertising

These days, marketers need to get creative. Advertising in a way that doesn’t feel like advertising is a sought-after skill. One way is with “guerilla” outdoor advertising. This is essentially advertising in unexpected formats or locations that engages audiences. Think:

• Sidewalk chalk art
• Building projections
• Pop-up installations

You’ll see this more and more in viral or experimental campaigns.

Event and Sports Venue Advertising

Millions of Americans go to at least two sporting events a year, and even more watch live on TV. That makes sports venues a prime location to reach large audiences during live events.

Formats include:

• Banners
• Scoreboard ads
• Digital displays
• Branded merch

Businesses pay as much as $300,000 for rinkside NHL ads, for example.

Examples of Outdoor Advertising That Work

Let’s explore some outdoor advertising examples that had significant business impact for big brands:

Famous Billboard Campaigns That Made Headlines

Over the years, many big brands (and even small ones) have used good old-fashioned billboards to great effect:

• BBC World, “See Both Sides of the Story” - this creative billboard campaign saw powerful images “split” in half over a billboard that wraps around corners. The visuals weren’t just powerful; they perfectly embodied the tagline. The campaign supposedly boosted awareness of BBC reporting by 53%.

• Netflix, “Toxic Town” - the Netflix marketing team came up with a perfect way to draw attention to the theme of pollution by designing a billboard that visibly blurred as pollution levels in the area increased.

• Canva, Waterloo Station (London) - Canva’s creative series of billboards in and around Waterloo Station go to show just how much you can really play with the billboard format. The theme was “you don’t need to be a designer to design”. The billboards perfectly reflect this.

Transit Ads That Captured City Attention

Transit ads, even outdoor mobile advertising on buses, can make real waves when done right:

• Paramount, “Mean Girls” Transit Campaign (2024) - Paramount smartly plastered buses with famous quotes from the original Mean Girls movie, like “Look both ways, Regina” and “You still can’t sit with us”. It was nostalgic, but also super share-worthy.

• British Airways, #Lookup - a child points at the sky toward a passing plane. Next to him, a digital billboard tells you the (real-time) flight number and destination. What better way to grab people’s attention?

Creative Street-Level Ads That Went Viral

Not all outdoor advertising has to be confined to four edges. Sometimes, all it takes is a little outside-of-the-box thinking. Check out these examples:

• Folgers Coffee, Steaming Manholes - a wonderfully clever guerilla advertising campaign from all the way back in 2006. The coffee company Folgers “turned” NYC manholes into giant cups of steaming coffee with only a subtle tagline.

• Nike, “Run” Benches - Nike removed the “sitting” parts of some NYC benches and plastered their iconic swoosh with the word “run” on the top. The message was that you can’t sit if you're going to run.

• IKEA, Bus Stop Sofas - IKEA took to the streets of Australia to turn some ordinary bus shelters into cozy sitting areas, complete with iconic yellow sofas from IKEA's catalog. A truly immersive way to showcase home furnishings.

Outdoor Advertising Trends to Consider in 2025 

If you really want to make a splash with your OOH advertising, consider the outdoor advertising trends that are coming to the fore in 2025. These could help you cut through the noise and make a real impact:

Integration with Mobile and QR Codes

Advertising doesn’t actually have to be “in-home” or “out of home” anymore. These days, it’s totally possible to blend offline and online experiences. Integrating aspects like QR codes or links can instantly let passersby:

• Connect to your website
• Access a promotion
• Enjoy an AR experience

You’re turning a quick glance (which can be hard to measure in terms of business impact) into measurable engagement, as well as bridging the physical-digital marketing gap.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Advertising Materials

Studies show that the majority of Americans now show a real preference for sustainable brands and products. In fact, a huge 72% of consumers are actually willing to pay more for sustainable products!

Why not get in on the action? You can create physical ads in a much more sustainable way, for example by switching to:

• Biodegradable vinyl
• Recycled paper
• Water-based inks
• Living, plant-based billboards
• Solar-powered digital displays

This may increase your outdoor advertising cost, admittedly. However, you could make up for that in customer loyalty and sales.

Programmatic DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home)

Programmatic DOOH uses automated, data-driven buying to deliver targeted messages on digital billboards and screens in real time.

In essence, you can adjust content based on real-time factors like:

• Weather
• Time of day
• Audience demographics
• Live events

This allows for much more relevant messaging with minimal manual effort, too.

Hyperlocal Targeting and Smart Billboards

We’re seeing more and more “smart” billboards on our streets, even if they haven’t completely taken over yet! These billboards replace old-school paper with:

• Sensors
• GPS data
• AI analytics

They can then serve hyper-tailored ads based on location-specific factors like traffic flow or nearby events. Precision is the name of the game. Precision means targeting, which means minimizing wasted impressions.

How Much Does Outdoor Advertising Cost?

There’s no easy way to say how much outdoor advertising costs. It depends on a series of factors, like the location and format, as well as the duration of the ad run. However, we can give you some rough estimates:

• 14’ x 48’ billboard - $500 to $2,000/mo in rural areas, up to $30,000/mo in large cities.
• Street furniture - anywhere between $150 to several thousand dollars per month for a bus shelter wrap. Benches cost less, at around $75 - $500/mo.
• Transit ads - subway ads come in the cheapest at around $75 to $500/mo. Bus and airport ads are more (around $150 to $4,500/mo and $200 to $2,000/mo respectively).
• Digital billboards - around $1,200 to $15,000/mo, depending on location.

Don’t forget, those prices don’t include the marketing spend on things like creative design and installation. These costs should also be factored into your budget!

How to Plan an Effective Outdoor Advertising Campaign

Here’s how to give your outdoor advertising campaign the best shot at success:

Define Clear Goals and Know Your Audience

The first question is always, “who is your audience?” You should know them pretty well by now. Specifically, ask:

• What are their demographics?
• What are their travel patterns?
• What are their lifestyle habits?

You should know as much as possible about who you’re speaking to. When you do, you can figure out what you actually want your OOH advertising to achieve. What do you want to boost? Consider:

• Brand awareness
• Event promotion
• Lead generation
• Sales

Choose the Right Format for Your Message

Now, match up your campaign goals from the previous step with the perfect OOH ad format. Here are a few examples:

• Mass visibility = billboards
• Urban commuter areas = transit ads
• Neighborhood targeting = street furniture

Beyond that, also think about whether you want your ad to be static or digital. Which type best supports your message? Don’t go for a digital ad just because it “looks cool”. Pick the best way to empower your CTA.

Design Tips for Grabbing Attention Outdoors

Engaging passersby comes down to a few key principles (aside from stellar messaging and brand storytelling!). They are:

1. Keep messages to seven words or fewer. This way, it can be read in just a few seconds.
2. Use bold fonts.
3. Use high-contrast colors.
4. Use a single focal image/graphic.

You want both your brand and your message to be clear from a distance. Don’t forget, viewers might even be passing in vehicles, so it needs to be snappy.

Measure Success with Tracking Tools and KPIs

It’s crucial to regularly check in on how your outdoor ads are actually doing in real terms. A great visual or snappy tag line means nothing without real impact. So, always track response. We recommend doing this with:

• Brand lift surveys
• Unique promo codes
• QR code sans
• Dedicated landing pages

These are all easy ways to measure exactly how well your ads are engaging viewers. For digital OOH campaigns, leverage analytics from programmatic platforms to measure impressions and engagement in real time.

As a final step, you should compare your actual results against your original goals to determine ROI and inform future campaigns.

Outdoor Advertising vs. Digital Marketing: Which One Wins?

In the U.S., 74.4% of all ad spend is on digital advertising. However, it’s clear that in certain circumstances outdoor advertising takes the win. So, which one is right for your campaign?

Let’s take a look:

When to Choose Outdoor Over Digital

Outdoor advertising really shines when it comes to repeated exposure in specific geographic areas. For example, if you want to reach people on their daily commute.

It’s particularly useful for:

• Brand-building
• Local business promotion
• High-impact visuals
• Advertising events

OOH advertising is also less susceptible to ad blockers or “banner blindness”; it’s harder to ignore.

However, it may not be the best option if you need to, say, drive organic traffic to your site. In that case, world-class digital marketing is your best bet.

Combining Both for Maximum Impact

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to choose one over the other. Many successful brands actually use both. For example, a billboard could  introduce a campaign and build awareness, while digital ads retarget those same viewers online for deeper engagement. It’s all about coordination.

In fact, shared creative elements (like a motif or hashtags) can really help to bridge the gap between offline and online touchpoints and actually create a smoother customer journey.

Case Studies of Offline + Online Ad Synergy

Here are some high-performing examples when brands used both digital and outdoor advertising for maximum impact:

• Spotify Wrapped - after seeing all those subway ads showing other people’s personal music stats, how could anyone resist heading over to their own “Wrapped” and seeing theirs? This campaign boosted app engagement significantly.

• Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke - personalized names on billboards and store displays encouraged people to post photos with their Coke bottles. This genius move blended in-person interaction with a viral digital hashtag.

• Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season Launch - Netflix cleverly used 3D billboards to send scary creatures through real-world buildings, which drew crowds who took photos and videos who then posted them all over Instagram.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Getting outdoor media advertising right takes time and patience. Many first-time businesses fail. However, with the right preparation, you can avoid some of the most common mistakes and improve your chances of success.

Here are the top OOH advertising challenges to watch out for:

Choosing the Wrong Location or Format

Putting an ad where hardly anyone goes is an obvious error. Likewise, choosing the wrong format (billboard, digital display), even if your ad is in exactly the right place, can be catastrophic. Both can end up wasting your marketing budget in weeks.

The solution? Research. Look into footfall and audience demographics before choosing your location, and match your format to where your audience spends most time (i.e., transit ads for commuters).

Ignoring Design Simplicity and Visibility

It’s tempting to be “clever” with outdoor advertising. However, what’s more important is relevance. A witty one-liner only works if it fulfils your business goals.

Similarly, beginners often:

• Cram in too much text
• Use small fonts
• Pick colors that don’t stand out

Outdoor ads need to be readable in seconds, often from a moving vehicle. Stick to short, punchy messaging, bold fonts, and high-contrast color schemes to really pack a punch.

Skipping Local Regulations or Permits

You can’t just put up whatever you want. Most cities actually have very strict rules about what you can and can’t say, as well as about billboard sizing and placement. Skip the permit process and you risk  fines or removal of your ad.

Spend some time looking up local advertising regulations and only ever work with media agencies that fully understand compliance requirements.

Not Tracking Results or ROI

Your ad might look great, but does it work? Measuring how well your advertising speaks to, preferably converts, customers is essential. Without measuring your ad’s effectiveness, you won’t be able to justify spend or learn for the future.

Some great ways to track your outdoor advertising performance are:

• Unique URLs
• QR codes
• Promo codes
• Post-campaign surveys
• Built-in analytics

Final Thoughts

Outdoor advertising isn’t as popular as digital advertising in 2025, but total OOH spend is still rising. That means businesses up and down the country are benefiting from OOH methods, including:

• Billboards
• Transit ads
• Airport ads
• Street furniture ads
• Mall and supermarket ads
• Guerilla advertising
• Sports venue ads

However, if you’re considering outdoor advertising for your business, research is key. Don’t guess what you need. Research your target audience and find out which formats appeal to them and where you’ll reach them. Don’t forget to track your progress regularly to see what kind of business impact your ads are making.

Why not consult a professional? Influize is a digital marketing leader. We specialize in crafting high-impact campaigns for small businesses just like yours. Reach out to our team or visit our blog for expert insights!