OOH: The hype man of the media mix
Opinion
Your ad’s second impression might be the one that matters most.
I came across an article in The Times recently that really got me thinking. It said TED Talks, those famously tight 19-minute bursts of ideas, are being trimmed by a third. Why? Because our attention spans just aren’t what they used to be.
In advertising, we’ve known for a while that grabbing and holding attention is harder than ever. But if TED Talks, sessions people choose to watch, are getting shorter to keep us engaged, what chance do brands have?
It’s also hard to ignore the big shift that’s been looming for advertising, with the new rules around less-healthy food (LHF). These restrictions were set to shake things up this year, particularly for brands relying on golden early-evening TV slots. Think of it like your favourite show losing its prime-time slot, still good, just harder to find.
In theory, this could’ve been a huge opportunity for OOH to step in and shine. But after the recent news that the rollout’s been delayed, is it a win for TV? Or just a little breathing room for TV and OOH to become the perfect partners?
Synergistic relationship
OOH now reaches 97% of the UK population every week. And as Les Binet pointed out on The Uncensored CMO podcast, outdoor has now overtaken TV in reach and number of exposures.
But, this isn’t about one medium winning over the other. TV and OOH each have their strengths, like two great friends at a party. TV makes the entrance, turns heads, gets everyone on the dance floor. OOH is the one who keeps the vibe going, drops the memorable one-liners, and makes sure people are still talking about it the next day.
Together, they’re magic. TV grabs attention. OOH holds it.
Picture this, you see an ad for a new burger on TV in the morning. You think you barely notice it. But on your way home, there it is again, on a billboard, or a digital screen at the station. Suddenly, it feels familiar.
That’s not coincidence. That’s how our brains work. We don’t just see ads, we connect them. And when we see a message in multiple formats, in different contexts, we’re more likely to remember it.
Science backs this up. Studies show that repeated exposure across media types makes the brain work harder, and remember more. And adding OOH to a TV campaign can increase real business outcomes, like sales or market share, by 17% according to the IPA.
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Let me give you an example: Giffgaff saw an opportunity to improve the impact of their TV ads. They paired TV with a bold, sustainable OOH campaign, placing eye-catching ads in high-traffic areas like Waterloo Station.
While TV helped build broad awareness, OOH added real-world presence and immediacy, reaching people in everyday moments, on commutes, lunch breaks, or shopping trips. By tracking who saw the ads and who visited the website, Giffgaff proved that combining TV’s reach with OOH’s relevance could drive both attention and action, all while staying true to their eco-conscious values.
And this isn’t just OOH jumping on TV’s success. A high-street coffee brand once ran a campaign using only digital OOH, no TV, no digital ads. Just great creative in the right place at the right time. The result? A 35% profit increase. No algorithm, just smart strategy.
Turning fleeting moments into lasting memories
OOH has evolved. It’s digital, dynamic, clever, targeted, measurable. And unlike online ads, it can’t be skipped. People scroll past social ads in milliseconds, mute pre-rolls without blinking. But they see OOH, on the walk to work, out the bus window, while queueing for lunch. And people like it. Kantar’s research shows OOH actually gets more attention than TV, and people prefer seeing ads in the real world over online.
We’ve also seen OOH fill in the gaps when restrictions hit. Let’s rewind to 2021 during the early days of HFSS regulations: one FMCG brand saw that areas with roadside OOH alongside TV outperformed TV-only areas by 5% in sales. Same spots. Different outcome. OOH made the difference.
So why is it still underrated? OOH is flexible. It’s measurable. And while everyone else is fighting algorithms, OOH is out there in the real world, building trust, recognition, making campaigns feel bigger, broader, more connected.
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According to Analytic Partners, when you take OOH out of a media plan, other channels suffer and digital ROI drops. Why? Because OOH amplifies everything else. It’s the media hype man for the rest of the line up.
OOH isn’t a filler. It’s not background. And it’s definitely not the backup dancer. It’s the thing that turns a fleeting TV moment into a lasting memory. It’s the second beat in a story your customer is already halfway through. And sometimes, it’s the moment that steals the whole show.
If you want your message to stick, put it on the street. Your ad’s second impression might be the one that matters most.
Emily Alcorn is chief effectiveness officer at global OOH agency Talon.