We think out-of-home (OOH), and our minds automatically jump to billboards, advertising, and sales. Outdoor ads are quintessential for a well-rounded advertising campaign, but they are not limited to this arena; they also serve as mediums of self-expression and artistic mastery.
Art has been expressed through OOH advertisements, as both a blend of marketing ingenuity and artistic creativity, as well as pure art. Art galleries often partner with advertising agencies to display their artwork at a large scale, reaching countless viewers that would have otherwise not been accessible.
OOH is not just about selling a message or an advertisement—it’s also about telling a story, and that applies to the intersection of artistic expression within advertising mediums. This field has long been a staple in marketing and advertising, seen everywhere from the side of highways to busy urban centers.
However, recent years have revealed a fascinating and innovative shift, one where OOH advertising is being spotlighted as an art form and being viewed within culture and art in ways that our society has not seen before.
As the evolution of OOH and its role in the world expands beyond just marketing, we can see various prominent examples of how new uses for this medium are already being employed on a large scale.
A prime example of this is Times Square, where digital out-of-home (DOOH) has been reinvented as brilliant public art, celebrating around 100 contemporary artists since the program began in 2012. The Times Square Midnight Moment art event showcases how an unforgettable experience can be derived from OOH, paving the way for new innovations to sprout from it as well.
This is one of many examples of how OOH is being used in new and creative avenues to further expression while innovating OOH to have more purposes than just advertising. As technology and creativity continue to evolve, this field will be viewed as art in its own right, a medium capable of limitless expression.
Out-of-home advertising has evolved from static billboards to an influential art form. Whether it’s through immersive digital experiences, 3D elements, or experiential displays, OOH is more than just an advertising and marketing tool—it’s a way to create memorable and unforgettable experiences in highly viewable spaces.
Photo via Times Square.
