Driverless cars are coming. The question is no longer if, but when. Whether the first breakthrough model comes from Google or Tesla or Ford, they’re well on their way. Once this happens, what impact will it have on the out-of-home industry? Here are three ways that driverless cars will change OOH.
BILLBOARD RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Most municipalities currently have restrictions on OOH for fear of distracted driving. Outdoor ads can only be so bright. They can only be so large. They can only move so much. These restrictions exist because of legitimate safety concerns. While they may keep people safe now, they’ll have no place in the future where cars drive themselves.
This means OOH will be bigger and brighter than ever. Designs will be allowed to incorporate full motion and movement. We’ll likely get those giant holograms we’ve seen in the movies for years. Instead of being limited so they don’t attract all of our attention, they’ll now be trying their best to dazzle us.
IN-CAR VISUAL DISPLAYS
Autonomous cars will ease restrictions on ads outside of cars, and the same can be said for ads inside cars. All newer cars have a dash screen and in-car ads on these screens already exist. Again, the opportunity here is currently downplayed because of safety concerns.
Once those are gone, we can expect full digital commercials and games to be displayed on our dash screens. In fact, expect each seat in the car to have its own dedicated screen. Each passenger in the car will be delivered personalized and interactive ads, perhaps even interfacing with their mobile devices.
IN-CAR AUDIO
There are some passengers who would just as well take a nap or read a book once they don’t have to pay attention to the road. Outdoor advertisements and screens can’t impact people who aren’t looking at billboards and screens, right? How do we reach these people?
Thanks to location data, audio is already used to supplement OOH in certain markets. Self-driving cars allow this to be taken to the next level. Imagine your favorite supermarket jingle starting to play inside your car as you near the billboard a mile before its parking lot. You look up and an outdoor ad reminds you to pick up eggs and chocolate chips on the way home. A pop-up box on the dash screen asks you if you want to make a stop.
There is no question self-driving cars will allow for more dazzling outdoor ads, more engaging in-car displays, and more relevant in-car audio. The truly exciting thing is how future technology and location data will allow all three to work together to create more personalized and attention-grabbing OOH advertisements. Driverless cars will undoubtedly help usher in a new era of OOH.
