LA Auto Show 2024 Uses Billboards to Drive Ticket Sales; OOH On Track for Record Year

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising posted its highest ever third-quarter volume, which follows a record breaking first half of the year, demonstrating the medium’s value in connecting advertisers with audiences.  Not surprisingly, digital (DOOH) was a critical growth driver, representing 33% of sales in the quarter, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA).

“We are excited to see another record-breaking quarter for OOH, underscoring its enduring relevance and effectiveness in today’s media landscape,” said Anna Bager, President and CEO, OAAA in a November 21, 2024 press release.  “With digital OOH driving significant gains and urban formats reflecting return to office trends, we’re seeing OOH’s unique ability to adapt and thrive in changing environments. Increased investment from top brands and tech leaders across diverse industries further cement OOH’s position as a critical component of modern marketing strategies.”

One of the best ways to visualize how OOH can work for you is to see what others are doing so in this blog post we highlight a visually engaging billboard for the recent LA Auto Show.  We saw this traditional, static board in the evening, and as you can see from this full-size, high-res photo, it really stood out in the dark.

Based on our experience running millions of OOH impressions in major markets, we share some takeaways from the LA Auto Show’s strong execution as well as some creative best practices we recommend to clients to maximize results from their investments in billboard advertising.

Keep copy short and simple: The messaging on the LA Auto Show billboard is tight.  This is critical because billboards are usually seen while people are in motion, so billboards are often viewed in a matter of seconds.  Focus on one message and keep copy concise so it can be absorbed quickly.  Resist the urge to put everything about your show in the ad.  Follow the “less is more” concept.

Prioritize visibility: The bold white text the LA Auto Show used really stands out against the background.  High-contrast colors increase legibility, while lower contrast colors do the opposite.  Keep in mind billboards are often read at 500+ feet so you want to do everything you can to ensure visibility for this distance.  Selecting clean font styles i.e. less decorative ones and sufficient sizes like they have done also helps increase legibility from a distance.  Avoid intricate fonts and weights that are too bold or thin.

Use strong visual assets: The LA Auto Show billboard has a high visual to text ratio i.e. much more of the space allocated to image than text.  It also uses a powerful image which has a strong focal point.  These are key factors in making this board so visually engaging.  While this is certainly a well-lit unit, the visual strategy and overall visibility play a key role here in how well this traditional billboard performs in the evening (the photo was taken at night).

Add a call-to-action: If your ads are tasked for acquisition i.e. selling tickets vs. generating awareness, add a call-to-action.  Keep it short and simple like the primary messaging – and make sure it syncs directly with why you are running the billboard ad.  Our clients have used websites, SMS, QR codes and social media handles to achieve their objectives. The best CTA will depend on your objectives and the OOH format you choose.

Develop native creative: While it is easier to repurpose creative that has been designed for other channels, we don’t recommend this.  To maximize ad spend, develop content that’s tailored to this medium and leverages its unique capabilities, including extensions which break the rectangular boundaries of traditional billboards and dynamic messaging and other opportunities listed below that are offered by digital units.

Leverage the creative flexibility of DOOH: Digital formats enable you to update copy real-time, change creative to avoid ad fatigue, run multiple messages highlighting different aspects of your show and use countdown clocks.  DOOH also enables you to use videos, animations and other interactive elements to engage consumers.

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Posted on December 6, 2024