Common Mistakes in Outdoor Advertising (And How to Avoid Them)

Outdoor advertising is powerful, but you’ve got to do it right — and it’s surprisingly easy to do it wrong! The thing is, outdoor ads aren’t like digital or print ads. You’ve got to understand their unique place. People see them while driving, walking, or commuting — they need to be understood at speed. Let’s talk about the biggest mistakes that kill outdoor campaigns — and how you can avoid them.

Creative and Design Failures

Weak creative is the number one killer of outdoor campaigns. It’s a billboard — you do not need paragraphs of text. Who can read a novel at 60 miles an hour? Nobody. You want six words or fewer for headlines. Use large, bold fonts readable from 100 feet away.

Poor contrast makes ads invisible. Light text on light backgrounds is invisible — same for dark text on dark images. You need high contrast between texts and images. People can actually read that. Yellow text on black backgrounds or white text on dark blue work well.

Missing or weak calls to action waste opportunities. Don't just show your logo and hope people remember you — you’ve got to do a little more work. Tell them what you want! Try "Visit MainStreet.com" or "Text PIZZA to 12345." And keep it simple — you’ve got 3 seconds and your target needs to remember it in just that time.

Format and Planning Mistakes

Wrong format selection kills campaign effectiveness. Billboards just aren’t for detailed product ads. And bus ads don’t work for brand awareness. Match your format to your goal — billboards for quick brand messages, transit ads for longer content, street furniture for local targeting.

Poor planning can kill your campaign before it’s even launched. You’ve got to book your outdoor space early — lead times range from 4 to 16 weeks! Premium locations book months in advance.