Mobile Messages Put the gOOH in Political Advertising

Voters are on the move as they go about their daily lives out in the real world. There's no rule that says advertising have to sit still, either. Marketers have used public transit buses and streetcars for years to transport their message around town.

But why stop at buses when you could be promoting your candidacy on virtually anything that moves?

• Mobile LED trucks, wrapped vehicles and taxi toppers can circulate your message throughout your target area anywhere there is a road
• Airplane banners and skywriters can advertise in old-fashioned, whimsical ways that draw extra attention
• And if there's water within your campaign territory, OOH messages can float into view on boats and barges and branded beach balls

It's like having a fleet of portable lawn signs – only so much cooler.

Advantages of mobile OOH

Out-of-home offers a multitude of imaginative advertising opportunities, all of them memorable.

Like roadside billboards, mobile OOH offers a large-than-life visual experience that is virtually impossible for voters to ignore. But it goes anywhere there's a roadway, bringing your message up close where it feels a lot more personal and even more engaging.

Perhaps that's why mobile digital billboards generate recall rates as high as 97%!

In fact:

• 98% of people traveling in cars notice them
• Combining mobile billboard ads with a smartphone campaign boosts your reach by a whopping 316%!
• Proximity-based messaging enables you to make even more impressions for the same investment

As with other forms of out-of-home media, mobile ads can be static (printed) or digital. That means you can display:

• Simple, bold messages,
• A friendly life-size photo of your candidate (just right for sharable voter selfies)
• Brightly lit visuals that move — even very short videos

Advertise on the outside, or on the inside

1. Exterior mobile ads

Ads on buses, trucks, etc. are usually quite large, so they can easily be seen by anyone in the area, in a car or on foot. Voters who regularly use this route will see your message multiple times over the course of multiple days, weeks or longer.

2. Interior mobile ads

Interior ads are smaller — think placards and posters inside a bus or subway car. Many taxis and rideshares now boast digital screens inside with programming (and ads like yours) for customers to watch.

While interior ads can be seen only by passengers, they offer plenty of dwell time during the ride to absorb your message. That's especially true for transit used by commuters every day.

Revving up mobile OOH for your campaign

With out-of-home OOH rolling stock, the possibilities are almost endless.

Any truck with a boxy shape can be turned into a traveling campaign ad. With so much space, you can create a design that is immense and bold, like a billboard, or you can add more detail in text or images such as QR code voters can scan to connect with you whenever the truck makes a stop.

Ask a staunch campaign supporter who owns delivery vans or larger commercial trucks if you can advertise on their vehicles.

Trailer billboards are two-sided panels that can be hauled behind a pickup or van, even some cars. You can use the same ad on both sides or promote your campaign with two messages simultaneously.

Branded mobile units can:

• Serve as pop-up campaign stops
• Pay a visit to your next event
• Represent your candidate or ballot issue in parades and other public appearances
• Show up at your opponent’s event to remind voters they have an alternative choice (you)

Mobile OOH can also significantly upgrade your canvassing efforts with a far more impressive visual presence. Drive your wrapped vehicle to the targeted neighborhood and park on the street where everyone can see your message while volunteers, staff or the candidate personally go door-to-door to deliver your campaign’s key talking points.

Mobility means agility

You can start the engine and drive your ad to a new location at any time. That not only broadens reach, it enables you to visit targeted voter segments wherever they are gathering.

Have an upcoming political campaign that you are looking to enhance with OOH? Download Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our new political playbook series to help keep you ahead of your competition.