In today’s marketing world, nothing stirs opinions quite like out-of-home advertising. Some people love it. Others hate it. Most don’t care. But its impact? Undeniable.
We’re not here to debate whether OOH should be banned or expanded. We’ll leave that fight to someone else. Instead, let’s put the arguments aside for a moment and look at the facts.
People Still Live in the Real World
Yes, digital marketing dominates the conversation. We invest in it, believe in it, and help clients succeed with it every day. But that doesn’t make traditional advertising irrelevant. Far from it.
Here’s the truth: people leave their homes. They go to work. They drive their kids to school. They shop, dine out, and take trips. Along the way, they encounter out-of-home advertising.
Billboards, transit posters, airport displays, kiosks, and digital signage are still part of daily life.
A recent OAAA report showed that out-of-home advertising revenue in the U.S. hit nearly $2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking 16 straight quarters of growth. Global forecasts show the trend continuing, driven by the rise of digital OOH. This isn’t a medium in decline. It’s evolving and expanding.
Why It Still Works
You can skip a video ad. You can close a pop-up. You can mute a pre-roll. But you can’t scroll past a billboard on your morning commute. OOH owns a unique advantage in the marketing mix: unavoidable visibility. Whether you’re on a freeway, in a subway station, or walking past a storefront, OOH is there, commanding attention.
And it IS measurable. Today’s OOH is not the old-school guessing game of the past. With digital technology and mobile data, advertisers can measure lift in website traffic, app activity, and even in-store visits tied to OOH campaigns. Programmatic buying has made OOH as flexible and targeted as digital, allowing brands to deliver timely messages in high-value locations.
The Power of Simplicity
OOH forces clarity. A billboard gives you a few seconds to make an impression, so every word matters. This constraint works in favor of branding because it eliminates the clutter. When done well, OOH leaves a lasting impression that supports your entire marketing strategy. In fact, many brands use OOH as a spark that drives consumers into digital channels for deeper engagement.
Digital marketers would be wise to learn the lessons of OOH. Ever wonder why your Click Thru Rate is so low? Display ads not converting? When you’ve mastered the “6 seconds or less” philosophy of outdoor advertising you can apply these rules to your digital campaigns to deliver real results.
Brand design is similar. Your mark must make an impact right away. The masters of OOH know this all too well. When a person experiences your brand for the first time they must immediately understand it on a deeper level. Want to test your brand design? Hang it up on the wall and have people briskly walk by it. If it made an impression and resonated with them, you did a good job.
More Modern Than You Think
If your perception of OOH is stuck in the past, it’s time to update it. The industry has embraced innovation. Digital screens, real-time creative swaps, geofencing, AR integrations, and programmatic buying have made OOH a modern, data-driven channel. It is no longer static or disconnected. It is interactive, targeted, and often integrated with mobile campaigns for even greater impact.
And let’s talk about sustainability. Today’s OOH operators are pushing for greener solutions. In some cases, the carbon footprint of a billboard campaign is lower than that of programmatic video or display advertising.
And if you think your AI-powered marketing stack is squeaky clean, think again. Training large language models and running real-time AI content engines can burn more energy than you might expect. Turns out, a static billboard might be the most eco-friendly thing in your campaign.
Make Your Marketing Larger Than Life
OOH works because it’s real. It meets people where they are, outside the digital bubble. It builds awareness, reinforces branding, and complements digital campaigns in ways that online ads can’t match. It’s not about replacing digital. It’s about amplifying it.
At Divining Point, we know OOH because we’ve lived it. Our CEO spent nine years in the industry before launching our agency. We believe in digital, but we also know the real world still matters. The best marketing strategies find the right balance between both.
Ready to explore how to elevate your marketing strategy? Contact us today and let’s talk about building a campaign that connects on every level.