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The Power of Storytelling in Out-of-Home Advertising: Lessons from Lenny Rachitsky's Interview with Nancy Duarte
Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising has the unique potential to create impactful, four-dimensional storytelling experiences....
Written by: Jeanne Hopkins - Jul 25, 2022 8:00:00 AM
If you've already checked out our new report, Rising Above Digital Fatigue with OOH, you know that 84% of marketers across the country expect OOH to become more interactive in 2022. Of that group, nearly two-thirds said they are particularly interested in learning how augmented reality (AR) can help activate their out-of-home ads.
Marketers often use storytelling to help potential customers imagine themselves interacting with the brand's products or services. People who can picture successfully using and benefiting from the product are more likely to seek further information and buy.
Augmented reality is a game-changer because it's hands-on. Ad viewers become users, literally stepping into the picture. They can try things on, or try them out. It’s the next best thing to being there in the store, showroom, etc.
Or, maybe even better because, let's face it. AR is a lot more fun.
It's easy to assume that augmented reality and virtual reality are the same thing. But they are not.
Some AR applications use modified glasses to add those imaginary elements, but AR can also work via specialized apps or on any smartphone, using the phone front- or rear-facing camera.
OOH has a unique ability to connect the physical and digital worlds for consumers. Augmented reality adds action and creates captivating, immersive experiences that are uniquely personalized.
The viewer controls what they see, and the content is all about them.
Back in 2014, Timberland hung a digital screen in a store-front window and invited after-hours passersby to use their "Magic Mirror" to virtually try on different outfits. The screen scanned each person and their movements, then displayed selected apparel on a similar body type. Shoppers could save their favorites and receive them via email for purchase or social sharing.
More recent technology advancements have dramatically upgraded augmented reality from an amusing novelty available only to big-budget brands into a mainstream advertising asset.
There were about 1 billion AR app downloads in 2016. That number is expected to exceed 5.5 billion this year.
Now-widespread 5G wireless connectivity enables users to connect quickly to multiple devices, so mobile devices (and apps) can work with OOH ads to create the desired AR experience. This increased accessibility for consumers makes AR more versatile and cost-effective for marketers.
Adding a QR code is a simply way to incorporate AR into your OOH ad. With that, you can expand almost any stationary out-of-home ad into an augmented reality experience. Billboards and street furniture, place-based DOOH screens – anywhere the viewer can reach out and scan your ad to activate the experience.
Marketers in our nationwide survey said they are looking to out-of-home to revitalize relationships with digitally exhausted audiences. Why? Because OOH surprises and delights better than any other channel. Augmented reality not only adds new levels of surprise and delight, it can engage audiences longer and more effectively.
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