Observed Signal · Oct 15, 2026 · Opinion / Advice · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
OOH Buying Advice: Focus on Attention, Not Just Billboards
This opinion piece by Ryan Zhao of Propellernet offers practical guidance for brands on how to buy Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising effectively, emphasizing that the key to OOH's success lies in the media buy, not the channel itself. Zhao cites a System1 and JCDecaux study finding that nearly 40% of OOH ads generate no meaningful emotional response, and argues that creative and strategic planning are crucial. He advises brands to set brand-building objectives, plan around consumer daily routines using tools like Route, maximize creative impact, navigate the fragmented OOH marketplace (with options like programmatic DOOH), measure honestly with brand lift and site visits, and plan for a second audience via earned media amplification. The article includes a case study where creative use of escalator screens for a ski brand and complementary programmatic targeting led to a 37% ROAS lift and higher engagement rates.
Provides practical guidance on OOH buying strategy, but is an opinion piece without breaking news.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- System1 and JCDecaux's Double Take study found that nearly 40% of OOH ads generate no meaningful emotional response.
- Propellernet's Valentine's campaign for a retail client lifted share of search by 7% and ROAS by 37%.
- Global Street Art research with Lumen shows murals earn eight times more attention when amplified through social.
- Propellernet used escalator screens at Tottenham Court Road and Green Park for a ski holiday brand campaign.
- Programmatic DOOH offers SMEs a low-friction entry point to OOH buying.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“System1 and JCDecaux's Double Take study found that nearly 40% of OOH ads generate no meaningful emotional response.”
“System1 and JCDecaux's Double Take study found that nearly 40% of OOH ads generate no meaningful emotional response.”
“Inventory is split between media owners such as Bauer Media Outdoor, Global and JCDecaux.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
OOH Should Behave More Like Social
Jay Young of Grand Visual argues that out-of-home (OOH) advertising must move beyond single ‘hero’ executions and adopt the continuous, responsive principles of social feeds. The piece says digital infrastructure, programmatic delivery and AI-driven production enable OOH to deliver many contextually relevant moments across a campaign — adapting by time of day, weather, location and cultural moments. Examples include Quaker’s weather-reactive bus shelter and Tincup’s partnership with the Colorado Avalanche. The author calls on media owners, agencies and specialists to enable dynamic delivery, brief adaptable campaigns, and iterate creative in-flight rather than locking work at launch.
AI Exposes Campaign Flaws, Not New Friction
In this opinion piece, Matthew Hill of Spark argues that AI is not the cause of operational friction in global marketing campaigns but rather exposes long-standing structural flaws. He cites that up to 80% of campaign friction stems from upstream issues like unclear briefs and shifting guidelines. Despite 88% of marketers using AI tools daily, only 24.2% of marketing workloads involve AI, indicating a gap between adoption and strategic integration. The article highlights the risk of generic creative output, with 51% of senior marketers fearing AI produces generic replicas, and cites System1 data showing AI-heavy campaigns score only 2.1 out of 5 stars. Hill introduces 'Bucket C' as the key to unlocking AI's value: using AI to connect workflows, data, and systems, rather than just speeding up tasks. He emphasizes AI governance, token cost management, and human oversight as essential. The piece is based on a closed-door Spark Conversations session and includes no breaking news but offers strategic insights.
AI Radio Ads Threaten Advertising's Creative Training Ground
Paul Burke argues that Global's AI-powered radio ad creation platform AdPower threatens the production industry that historically served as a training ground for young creatives, producers, engineers, and actors. He highlights that radio ads offered a low-stakes environment for learning craft before moving to bigger media, and cites examples of Oscar-winning sound engineers who started in radio. Burke critiques the quality of AI-generated scripts and warns that free AI tools could devalue human creativity and harm careers. He advises clients to consider the long-term impact on the industry and their brand reputation before using such tools, suggesting they could instead negotiate discounts on airtime. The article is an opinion piece expressing concern about the displacement of human talent in radio ad production.
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