Why OOH and Mobile Advertising Bring Out the Best in One Another
June 24, 2025
At OUTFRONT, we’re known for billboards and transit advertising. So why have we encouraged and enabled our clients to buy digital media too for the past decade?
We had a hypothesis that campaigns would be more effective by combining out of home, a one-to-many media, with mobile, a one-to-one. It has proven to be true, again and again. Through amplification, mobile technology has brought more value to the OOH space than ever before, even throughout major changes in the media landscape.
By deliberately building OOH and digital/mobile campaigns together, we open a new dimension of possibilities that include QR codes, augmented reality, and enhancing the consumer journey with mobile ads that complement the OOH. We can also measure campaign effectiveness and learn from the data that comes back to us, like where people engaged, what they engaged with, what actions they took after ad exposure, how many times they were exposed before converting, and much, much more. Of course, it makes sense that digital/mobile technology would enhance OOH. But you might not have expected that OOH enhances digital media right back!
The incorporation of OOH into digital media campaigns improves brand recall, recognition, engagement with digital media, web traffic, and store visitation. For example, OUTFRONT partnered with Bounce Curl for a campaign in support of its curly hair product launch. The campaign was built on programmatic digital billboards, complemented by mobile OOH retargeting and market-wide mobile ad delivery to relevant audiences across several markets. The results:
A few more CPG success stories:
- We drove 875,000 mobile impressions for Poppin
- We drove over 250,000 impressions for Night Shift Brewing
- We built brand fame for Freshie’s tequila seltzer launch
This synergy is nothing new. Even Meta (then Facebook) took notice, all the way back in 2019. By combining its native ad media with OOH and television for Danone’s campaign, the CPG brand reported impact 13% more efficient than its expectations. “When comparing different approaches, using both Facebook and OOH ads worked best,” Danone wrote.
Retail isn’t the only category that has experienced this impact! A campaign we ran for one major auto brand included static and digital billboards alongside mobile ad delivery, both around the OOH canvases as well as market wide to in-market audiences shopping for autos. The result? We measured a 217% visitation rate increase over OOH alone and a 382% increase above mobile alone.
Combining OOH and mobile has also been a recipe for success for auto dealerships like Nor Cal Honda, Audi of Pembroke Pines, and Honda El Monte.
Over the past decade, OUTFRONT has executed thousands of campaigns like this that combine OOH and mobile media, many with astounding results! But don’t just take our word for it. Our friends at Kinetic wrote about the relationship between OOH and mobile as well, saying that “having OOH as part of the media plan boosted the performance of other channels, including search by a massive 54%”. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to pairing OOH and mobile because there’s hardly a limit to what can be done. But what’s clear is that the two are a match made in heaven.
This cross-channel storytelling and user experience can be effective for any category or brand, large or small. Even government initiatives are seeing tremendous results. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities worked with OUTFRONT to help fight the opioid crisis. The ongoing campaign has included digital and traditional static billboards, buses, transit shelters, and subway stations. The mobile element delivered ads in proximity to the OOH as well as within high-risk neighborhoods. The campaign drove over 360,000 people to learn more about opioid risks, addiction, and recovery (SOURCE: OUTFRONT Mobile).
Other nonprofits we’ve guided to OOH + Mobile success include NY Census, Crime Stoppers, and Palm Beach Victims Unit.
Many clients are even leveraging mobile data to ensure their OOH campaign runs where people are engaging the most. Wild Florida has worked with OUTFRONT for many years to promote its ride, walk, and drive through zoo experience. When the attraction saw mobile engagement in areas around the market that it didn’t expect, Wild Florida decided to utilize even more OOH, mobile, and cross-device advertising in those locations.
PBR Teams, the San Diego County Fair, and the NCAA have also achieved big results with this strategy.
There are so many categories that can easily and effectively leverage the OOH + mobile one-two punch to improve the effectiveness of their campaigns. The opportunities are endless, and the results are measurable! The key to these solutions is partnership. The more data our clients can share with us, the more we can combine it with our data to create successful campaigns that evolve along with the brand and its audience.
What’s most exciting about combining OOH and mobile? We’re still only in the infancy of what’s possible.
What’s possible for you? Contact us today and find out!
Author: Jamie Valencour, National Senior Director, Mobile @ OUTFRONT
Links to third-party content are not endorsed by OUTFRONT Media. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. OUTFRONT does not guarantee specific results or outcomes.
