Why Billboards Still Matter

Perhaps nothing is quite as iconic as the billboard within the world of advertising - our beloved, towering monoliths of visual communication and opulence. A driver of culture, billboards have helped to shape cultural dialogues since their inception. What’s more memorable than a good billboard? One that not only promotes a product or idea, but pushes our collective thinking by making us reimagine what is, at the end of the day, a big rectangle in the sky.

However, in a palm-sized, screen obsessed culture: do billboards really still matter? The answer, surprisingly, is a resounding yes. Billboards are not relics of a pre-digital landscape; they are dynamic, constantly adapting to the shifting tides of culture. What’s more important than giving your idea the enormous attention it deserves than the immeasurable power of a good ol’ billboard? 

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising always ingrained itself into our cultural landscape. No longer confined to static images, billboards have embraced the digital age with a direct-to-social approach that commands attention in a world awash with content. A canvas for human imagination, forcing us to crane our necks upwards and visually step into the world of an idea. 

Reflecting on the past year, OOH advertising demonstrated its viral potential. From Ice Spice & PinkPantheress’s captivating crime-wave billboard to the futuristic Las Vegas Sphere doubling as an electronic advertisement billboard, OOH campaigns prove that size isn't just about scale, but also about impact. In an era where attention spans are fleeting and competition for attention is mind-numbingly fierce, these campaigns have become more than just ads – they are memes, catchy and amusing, disrupting the norm.

Some of the most memorable ads are OOH, the ones that stick around in our minds ever since we were curious young kids. What makes them so impactful, perhaps over and above any other platform, is the creativity that they need to stand out. Use of space, use of location, use of design - a billboard isn’t only about the messaging, but what we can do with it.

The essence of billboards has evolved from being merely advertisements to becoming prompts for engagement. Billboards are no longer passive; they demand to be noticed and shared. This transformation mirrors the strategies of modern social media marketing, where going viral is the ultimate goal. 

Today's brands understand the potential of billboards as more than just physical structures; they're opportunities to transform spaces into memes and viral phenomenons.

The sheer amount of content online has sparked a near-out war for attention. TikTok's have videos of slime underneath heartfelt scenes from movies, all to try to somehow hold our attention amidst the overwhelming, almost brain-rotting amount of content we consume (intentionally or not) daily. Billboards are not exempt from this battle for attention, and in their favour they aren’t privy to the unlimited scroll. In our hectic day-to-day, their goal is to try and hold our attention, at least for just a second. 

Technology has revolutionised the billboard landscape. Innovations like AI, 3D, and QR code integrations have elevated billboards to new heights. These advancements are not merely about aesthetics – they're about virality. They want you to not only look at them, but also to consume them, to laugh alongside them like they’re in on the joke, and to be put online. As billboards adopt new technologies, they want to integrate into our digital lives, to traverse the boundary between the real and the online. 

In a world where this boundary (digital vs physical) is constantly tested, billboards retain their power to amplify. They turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, bringing larger-than-life images and ideas into the public eye, just for us to put it online. Their shamelessness and audacity capture our attention, reminding us that creativity is boundless.

Despite the ubiquity of billboards, their allure endures. They continue to stand out amidst the constant barrage of stimuli, sparking our curiosity and inviting us to engage.