The all-encompassing wave of digitalization riding on the power of the Internet, has virtually sounded the death knell for advertising in traditional media like newspapers and magazines, television and radio, etc. However, standing firm amidst the ruins left in its wake by the digital revolution are the good old billboards, still telling us compelling stories through simple yet eye-catching visual images as we drive by, somehow managing to stay with us in spite of the information overload.

So, how did billboards survive the digitalization attack? Well, it has to be a combination of a clutch of factors. First of all, this age-old medium does not thrive on content. You can’t miss them anyway as you drive past. Also, their ability to be the “point of purchase” is unique when you compare billboards with other media used to disseminate advertisement. Or maybe, us consumers are terribly bored with the avalanche of online ads burying us under their collective heft all the time, and simply see billboards as a welcome novelty, a sight for sore eyes!

Whatever the triggers, there’s no denying that the supposedly Jurassic billboards have experienced a recent resurgence, as global giants like Meta, Netflix, Apple, Samsung and Coca-Cola all renewing their love affair with outdoor advertisement bigtime! While digital overkill could well be a factor, one can’t discount the copy-writer’s nous towards being carefully careless in guiding us to the relevant online platform through the giant canvas. In any case, you can’t miss them unless you are rendered hors de combat by illness or injury, or choose to be a recluse.

Needless to say, billboards command the lowest price compared to other visual media, when it comes to catching eyeballs, often measured in “cost per thousand exposures”, thanks to the ever-increasing volumes of road traffic. Also, as you stop at a red signal, your eyes linger on the billboard above, resulting in a longer exposure. And, in spite of the recent proliferation of the WFH (work from home) culture triggered by the pandemic, the need to commute will never lessen. Hence, the relevance of billboard advertisement remains undiminished.

Billboards can’t be blocked out by premium subscription accounts or skipped at the press of a key. We can’t even scroll past them; they demand our unflinching attention. Clearly the fastest-growing non-Internet advertisement medium, billboards have been outperforming TV ads for quite some time now, with over 71% of commuters saying they look at billboards, according to a study. Also, a growing number of blue-chip corporates are harking back to the vintage billboards, simply to be heard above the digital din.

It’s quite a battle for eyeballs out there on the highways, spawning some clever creativity in the bargain. Let’s take the iconic The Economist ad for reference. The revered publication’s interactive billboard featured a lightbulb fitted with a sensor. Every time someone passed underneath it, the bulb lit up, signifying an idea flashing. The implication was that “The Economist gives you great ideas”. This is regarded as a benchmark of excellence in interactive advertisement since the creative team has been able to take customer engagement to a whole new level, passive customers (or onlookers who didn’t pass underneath the billboard) included!

Drawing from digital-footprint info, billboard ads are benefiting from the precise knowledge of where their potential customers are and where they are spending. It’s possible nowadays for companies to find out how many customers have seen their billboards and then connected online. No wonder digital behemoths like Google and Netflix are all lining up major in-house investments in OOH (out-of-home) advertisements.

So clearly, billboards are far from passe, even in today’s digital metaverse. As a recent study reveals, people find myriad benefits in billboards – from a new restaurant reference, to a reminder for watching a latest TV show, to a funny line they can share, to a product info benefiting them directly…