When most people hear “out-of-home advertising,” they picture massive billboards lining the highway. As Cofounder Greg Wise and Head of Marketing Charlie Riley explored in Episode 2 of Beyond the Billboard, that definition barely scratches the surface.
OOH advertising is not just a relic of the past. It is a dynamic, expanding field full of untapped creative options and strategic potential. The conversation pushed marketers to rethink what OOH can be and, more importantly, how to use it in smarter, more audience-focused ways.
Watch the full episode below.
Out-of-Home Advertising Is Far More Than Billboards
At the top of the episode, Greg and Charlie challenged a common assumption. OOH is not just a billboard on the interstate. It includes everything from:
- Digital screens at gas stations and airports
- Bus, subway and other transit wraps
- Posters in grocery stores and gyms
- LED trucks and rideshare vehicle wraps
- Even aerial banners and drone ads
Each OOH format delivers its own strengths. Greg called this the “surround sound” effect—using multiple OOH formats in different environments to reinforce your message across touchpoints where your audience already lives, works, and moves.
This approach allows marketers to design campaigns that are seen, but remembered.
Audience Insights Should Drive Every Placement
OOH campaigns only work when the marketer truly understands the audience they are trying to reach.
Charlie and Greg emphasized that marketers need to stop thinking in terms of broad impressions and start thinking about actual people.
Who are you trying to reach? Where do they spend their time? What is their commute like? What are their routines?
When you use data — mobility patterns, demographics, traffic volume, dayparting — to guide your placements, OOH stops being guesswork and starts becoming strategic media buying. It is no longer about filling space. It is about finding the right moment and the right message in the right location.
Not All Inventory Is Created Equal
Charlie made a strong point about the importance of quality over quantity. Just because a location has a lot of eyeballs does not mean it is the right fit for your brand.
He highlighted factors like:
- Cleanliness and upkeep of the ad space
- Visibility from key angles or traffic points
- Is the signage lit so people can see it at night
- Surrounding environment and context
- Alignment with your brand’s image
For example, a luxury brand probably does not want its ad placed in a rundown part of town, even if the foot traffic is high. That disconnect can send the wrong message and dilute brand perception.
OOH is about presence, yes, but it is also about presentation.
Tier Two and Tier Three Markets Are Ripe for Innovation
Marketers often aim their OOH budgets at major metros like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
As Greg and Charlie noted, smaller cities and emerging regions are full of opportunity, especially using data sources to understand exactly where your audience spends time.
With more people relocating to suburbs and second-tier cities, media buyers are seeing more value in underutilized regions that offer:
- Less competition for ad space
- Lower costs and longer campaign run times
- Strong local engagement
- High dwell times in community spaces
For brands looking to stretch their budgets or increase share of voice, these markets can be goldmines. It is not always about where the industry has looked historically — it is about where your audience is going now.
Mobile Ads Bring Motion to the Message
The episode also spotlighted one of the fastest-growing OOH formats: mobile advertising.
LED trucks, rideshare wraps, delivery vehicle branding — these are no longer just add-ons. They are central to how brands deliver messages in dynamic, high-impact ways.
Greg pointed out that mobile units are especially effective for event-based campaigns. They let you put your brand in motion, showing up at the right time and place, whether it is near a sports arena, a festival, or a major conference.
This format combines the visual power of traditional OOH with the targeting flexibility of digital, giving marketers a moving billboard they can deploy strategically.
OOH Is Evolving — Are You Evolving With It?
Charlie summed it up perfectly during the episode: Marketers who only see OOH as billboards are missing the bigger picture.
The new frontier of out-of-home advertising is about:
- Smart, audience-first planning using inventory exactly where your audience spends time in the real world
- eyecatching creative in unexpected places readily shared on social media
- Quality placements over high-volume buying
- Tapping into new markets and formats that better reflect where people are spending their time today
OOH is no longer a static medium. It is responsive, data-informed, and full of opportunity for brands willing to step outside the traditional box.
Final Thoughts: Go Beyond the Billboard
This episode of Beyond the Billboard offered a clear message. If you are only thinking about OOH in terms of size or impressions, you are underestimating what it can do.
The real power lies in knowing your audience, choosing quality placements, and layering formats to create memorable brand moments in the real world.
Whether you are running a national campaign or looking to dominate a local market, out-of-home advertising has the tools — and now the tech — to help you do it smarter.
If you are ready to stop thinking about billboards as the beginning and end of OOH, this episode is your blueprint.
Ready to rethink your OOH strategy?
🎧 Listen to Episode 2 of Beyond the Billboard to hear Greg and Charlie unpack these insights in their own words.
Want help planning your next campaign? Visit OneScreen.ai for a free media plan or connect with the team on LinkedIn.