From the great obelisks of Ancient Egypt that were used to communicate the law to Egyptian citizens, to the Domino’s Pizza bus adverts we see today, out-of-home advertising has been around for a long time. In 1835, Jared Bell created what is widely considered to be the first billboard. Utilising the benefits of Gutenberg’s printing press and Senefelder’s lithography, Bell helped to advertise several circuses, including that of P.T. Barnum, whose name you might recognise from the 2017 musical The Greatest Showman. Today, billboards and posters are a part of our lives. It is nearly impossible to go anywhere without coming across some form of an advertisement inspired by the ingenuity of Bell and the Egyptians before him. Even the rise of digital advertising could not slow down this ancient method of exhibiting information... And then 2020 happened.

The role of billboards in the past year has changed, with many feeling unsure of their future. What does this mean for the future of OOH (out-of-home) advertising? In this post, we will evaluate the role of OOH advertising in a post-lockdown world.

Digital Fatigue and OOH Advertising

On average, users spend 3 hours and 20 minutes on their phones every day - and that number was calculated before the pandemic.

With this huge new reliance on the digital world, it may come as no surprise that, while many businesses struggle to entice employees to return to the office, there is also a rise in “digital fatigue”.

Not to be confused with “screen fatigue” (soreness of the eyes caused by extended periods of looking at a screen), “digital fatigue” describes how days spent working on our laptops, participating in Zoom conferences at desktops and catching up with loved ones and news on phones in our spare time can easily leave us feeling emotionally drained at the end of the day.

Seeing as many millions of us have lived this way for a year, it is no wonder that a sizable portion of us are very eager to return to a life with a more balanced reliance on the digital world. With this new order comes a huge opportunity for advertisers.

 According to a survey conducted by the Out Of Home Advertising Association of America, 45% of consumers are taking more notice of OOH advertising since COVID. So, as restrictions continue to lift and more of us are spending more of our time outdoors, the future of OOH looks brighter than ever.

The New Kind of Content and OOH Advertising

While consumers are paying more attention to OOH advertising, many brands are leveraging the relationship between digital and OOH advertising to create a new kind of advert. For example, this billboard spotted in Chicago replicates the X-user experience to create a relatable ad for the social media platform.

While OOH advertising may have been impacted by the pandemic, one thing is clear... OOH advertising is here to stay.

To learn more about Hot Billboard Summer, get in contact today.