New opportunity or threat for outdoor advertising? Fake OOH and 3D

We are witnessing an unprecedented paradigm shift in the areas of marketing and communication. The adoption of technologies, even by companies that were previously reluctant, has greatly accelerated the evolution of the advertising industry.

Along with already known technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality has recently taken flight. On social media, we have seen activations that make us doubt their reality, with 3D screens and outdoor advertising elements that seem to come from imagination. But are these activations known as Fake Out of Home (FOOH) and 3D beneficial or harmful to the outdoor advertising industry?

Outdoor advertising has been seeking to improve and increase its participation in the advertising pie for years, through the incorporation of programmatic, increasing inventory and versatility, among other strategies. How do these two new concepts affect the search for more relevance in budget distribution across media?

From my perspective, the answer depends on the mind behind these activations. To better understand it, let’s explore clear examples.

If the strategist understands that the use of FOOH or 3D is not essential for the outdoor campaign and is just a one-time activation, the outdoor budget will continue its course, benefiting the industry by demonstrating its power, versatility and effectiveness when purchasing OOH/DOOH devices.

On the other hand, those who allocate a large part of the budget to the design, activation and distribution of this content on social media can affect the industry. In this case, the budget that was originally for a variety of outdoor elements is reduced to a single element, allocating the rest to parts external to the OOH company.

From an optimistic perspective, these activations can enhance the medium. An expert in the OOH industry mentioned that by verifying the impact and viralization of an outdoor advertising element, advertisers could lean more towards this medium. Furthermore, this challenges us to be more creative and take advantage of current technological developments.

Ultimately, education about the OOH and DOOH industry is key. Promoting discussion spaces and advising clients in planning their outdoor strategy is essential. We cannot allow FOOH to be confused with real OOH and underestimate the impact that outdoor advertising generates on the street. What’s next? The continuous promotion of good practices and active participation in the evolution of the industry are fundamental.