What is outdoor (OOH) advertising?
Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is any advertising people see outside their homes: on roads, buildings, shopfronts and public spaces. Unlike social media, nobody scrolls past it; it works through repetition, size and location.
The main formats
- Billboards: large panels beside roads and junctions, seen by drivers and passengers. Best for awareness and launches.
- Unipoles: billboards raised on a single tall pole so they can be seen from a distance, typically beside highways and major roads.
- Corporate facades: branding built into the front of a building, so the headquarters, showroom or branch itself becomes the sign.
- Shop and storefront signs: the sign over the entrance that tells passers-by who you are and invites them in.
How to choose a format
Start from where your customers are and how they move. Drivers on a fast road need a big, simple message seen from far away: a billboard or unipole. People walking past a shop need to read the name and understand what you sell in a second: a clear storefront sign. A company that receives visitors gains from a facade that makes the building unmistakable.
Design for a glance
- Keep it to a few words: the brand, one message, one way to act.
- Use large type and strong contrast; thin fonts and pale colours disappear outdoors.
- Use your brand colours so the sign matches your print and social media.
- Think about the evening: if people pass after dark, decide early whether the sign should be lit.
Approvals and the site
Outdoor signs can need approval from the building management or the local authority. Check before production starts. For a shop sign or facade, measure the space, photograph the front from the street and note anything that limits the size or fixing.
What to send for a quote
- The format you want, or the goal if you are not sure.
- The location, with photos of the site.
- Approximate dimensions.
- Your logo and brand files.
- When you need it installed.