From billboard advertising to digital outdoor advertising - what is it? 

Every day we are bombarded by advertising, whether on TV, online or on the streets. Billboard advertising in particular is a well-known medium. But what exactly is meant by billboard advertising? Where did this advertising medium originate and how did the change to an innovative advertising solution of today's digital outdoor advertising come about? 

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History - From billboard advertising to digital outdoor advertising

Outdoor advertising began about 4000 years ago. At that time, there were so-called market criers who loudly advertised their products on the streets - today, this still sometimes takes place at Arabian or southern Italian markets. Also the well-known hieroglyphics at that time were already a kind of outdoor advertising. 

When outdoor advertising, both billboard advertising and digital outdoor advertising, became more prominent as capitalism and industrialization took hold in the 19th century, the advertising business really took off. Orchestral and theatrical performances in particular were publicized and announced with the help of outdoor advertising - how exactly did this happen? Posters were put up wildly on house walls and walls, which quickly led to the creation of a very inconsistent cityscape. Ernst Litfass tried to prevent this in 1900 and then invented the Litfass pillar, which is very well known today. A surface specially designed for outdoor advertising was created, which quickly found favor and was further developed in various forms over the decades.

If you would like to see everything about outdoor advertising as a webinar, you are welcome to view our regional webinars in Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin. 

Relevance of outdoor advertising

As a well-known advertising medium, outdoor advertising is very relevant in many respects:

  • High recognition value due to regular presence in public area
  • Outdoor advertising reaches everyone: Even people who use little media are reached by outdoor advertising.
  • Outdoor advertising is visible even from a distance
  • Repeat effects can be achieved through an intelligent choice of location - this means that outdoor advertising is often remembered longer
  • Outdoor advertising cannot be switched off or overlooked
  • High acceptance: viewing outdoor advertising is voluntary and does not have to be clicked away as with banners or videos

Nowadays, billboard advertising has changed to digital outdoor advertising. Digital outdoor advertising has significant advantages over billboard advertising:

  • Digital outdoor advertising has higher attention due to the moving advertising medium
  • Digital outdoor advertising can target groups more precisely
  • Digital outdoor advertising is innovative - advertising is played on large and modern LED screens
  • Digital outdoor advertising can be booked at short notice due to innovative technology
  • Digital outdoor advertising is uncomplicated and can be played out regionally

Digital Out of Home is the only digital mass medium, which means it can be activated flexibly at short notice, builds up a large reach very quickly, and can still be used for target group targeting and selection. All these strengths, combined with the ability to work with attention-grabbing moving images that fit the context, increase not only the efficiency but also the perception and ultimately the impact of campaigns in public spaces.

Frank Goldberg, IDOOH Managing Director
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DOOH Best Cases

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DOOH Channels

We bundle our outdoor advertising portfolio into channels so that you can place your digital billboard advertising in a more relevant thematic environment.

This is an excerpt from our channels.