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Creating Effective Out of Home Advertising

There are a few basic guidelines to consider when designing for the out of home medium, but they are not rules. There are always exceptions. However, adapting the guidelines does require an appreciation for the rudimentary principles of good out of home design.

The out of home medium presents limitless options and approaches for creative design. There are dozens of sizes and shapes, seemingly endless locations and stunning technologies offering boundless opportunities for designing effective advertising.

Basic Principles

Out of Home MediaTraditionalBulletinsSpectacular DisplaysWall MuralsPremiere PostersPostersJunior PostersDigital Billboards

Non traditionalStreet FurnitureBus SheltersUrban FurnitureKiosksShopping MallsDigital MediaBusesAirportsShopping MallsMobile

The out of home viewing audience is mobile. Most people travel swiftly in vehicles and walk at a brisk pace while they perform the activities of daily life. Mobility limits the potential viewing time of an out of home message to only a few seconds. Because of limited exposure time, out of home designs require a disciplined and succinct creative approach. However, high frequency is a fundamental strength of the medium and repeated exposures will ensure that a message is absorbed and retained over time.

Less is more, much more when creating out of home advertisements. The most effective designs focus on a single idea or concept. An advertiser should consider the most important product benefit to communicate and express that message to consumers.

Out of home advertising should be a quick burst of essential information. Additional messages dilute the essence of the primary benefit and reduce the impact of the advertising. It is equally important to limit design elements. Too many elements may confuse a viewer or make them work too hard to understand the meaning of the message.

If an advertising campaign requires multiple messages, one option is to create a series of designs that feature different core ideas presented as different out of home executions.

However, some place-based out of home formats are viewed by consumers for a considerably long span of time. These advertisements are often located in places where people wait such as airports, train stations, checkout lines or waiting rooms. In these situations, out of home designs could include more details since there is typically more time for viewers to digest the information.

BIGTHE IDEA

Demography

OrientationTime is a factor. It is important to consider the amount of time required for a viewer to fully perceive an out of home message. The actual viewing time for a specific out of home unit will vary by location and media format. A subway station poster or airport diorama design might contain a complex message, since viewers may have several minutes to reflect on the message while they wait for or ride on a train. Mobile advertisements should generally use fewer design elements than stationary out of home units.

GeographyThe impact an out of home unit will produce is relative to the distance from where it is viewed. A transit shelter advertisement positioned curbside andin close proximity to vehicular traffic and pedestrians can have the similar impact as a bulletin positioned many yards away.

The physical orientation of an out of home unit will significantly affect the placement of design elements such as product identity and the headline. Orientation will also affect the overall balance of a design. It is important to remember that demography, orientation and the geography – DOG – of a display are all necessary considerations when designing for the out of home medium.

Simplicity

ABCExpress the most important idea

concisely.

AccuracyPresent dynamic

or provocative messages.

BoldnessLimit the number

or words and pictures.

Clarity

Focus on a coreidea. Keep overall

advertisingmessages and

the elements ofdesign simple.

Brand positioning is an important

considerationand can effectproduct recall.

The bottom right is a good location for out of home units with a

horizontalorientation. The top

half of a design is the best location for

a verticallyoriented unit.

Don’t be confined by the boundaries

of a frame. Crop generously and extend the elements of design

beyond the physical restraints of an out of

home unit. Extensions orother three dimensional

embellishments and environmental

applications will enhance an

overall design by producing

greater impact.

Brevity Branding Borders

The Killer B’s

Aesthetic designs present pleasurable images or ideas to a viewer. They may be soothing when observed or enjoyable to study in detail. Aesthetic designs are often more dependent on pictures than on words. Although vivid, colorful photography can aesthetically enhance out of home designs, high-quality illustrative artwork can be an effective design choice.

Aesthetic

LiteralExtremely literal designs generally produce the lowest recall among out of home advertising viewers. Although pure branding can be very effective over an extended period of time, literal advertising won’t quickly increase brand awareness.

MemorableOut of home designs depicting positive product or social benefits will achieve better recall responses among viewers than designs with inaccurate or misleading product information. Keep creative memorable by drawing on universal elements of life, relying on imagery over words. Relate messages to familiar ideas and easily understood concepts. Use playful and lively concepts that offer comfort and emphasis to your brand.

Rational Emotional CulturalThe viewer rationally interprets the message

The viewer instinctively reacts to a message with emotion

The viewer determines if a message is relevant to them personally and chooses to either accept or reject the message

Designing out of home advertising is visual storytelling. The expression of an idea can surprise viewers with words or excite them with pictures. Through the use of humor or drama, out of home designs can influence consumer decisions and sell products.

When out of home advertising is well designed, it will entertain and intrigue consumers with arresting influence. The environment where out of home advertising appears is considerably different from other media, since there is typically no programming or editorial associated with the medium. It is pure advertising. That’s why innovative, aesthetic or humorous out of home design executions can often be more memorable than literal advertising.

People are intelligent, andgood out of home designs involve viewers by stimulating their imagination to solicit a response. Good advertising is storytelling. Dramatic tension or suspense influences viewer interest which can be expressed on three different cognitive levels: rational, emotional and cultural.

The Creative Challenge

Humor is a powerful design choice for out of home executions. Both humorous and intriguing designs can build awareness faster than mundane executions. The element of surprise can grab a viewer’s attention. Studies have shown that humor arouses the most favorable response among viewers. Humor often includes wit, an essential component for ensuring an effective response to intriguing or aesthetic designs.

Humor

IntrigueIntrigue involves a viewer by using words or pictures that may not be immediately comprehensible. Intrigue will often present a puzzle and solution relationship that requires mental focus. A single, intriguing design might be used to captivate a viewer. However, a message could also be conveyed using a series of related images that involve the viewer in a saga that unfolds over time.

SurpriseSurprise stimulates a viewer using unexpected or unusual design elements. A surprised viewer will do a “double-take” and will generally experience an emotional response once the essence of the message is understood. Sometimes the message is serious, so a powerful image with a searing headline can be an effectivedesign choice.

Advances in production technology have allowed advertisers to use increasingly complex imagery in their creative application. However, the requirements for effective out of home advertising have remained the same.

Imagery must be bold, clear and easy to understand. Strong images against simple backgrounds create highimpactvisuals. Images placed against complex backgrounds can be difficult to discern.

Complexity

TypestylesFonts selected for out of home designs must be easy to read from variable distances. Use large and legible typefaces. Choose fonts that are easily read at long distances. Fonts with thin strokes or ornate script will be difficult to read.

Adequate spacing between letters, words and lines will enhance visibility. The relative size of letter characters is also an important consideration. When designing for roadside displays, a one foot letter height is unreadable while a two foot letter height is marginal. A letter height greater than three feet is clearly readable. Words comprised of both upper and lower characters are generally easier to read than words constructed solely of capital letters.

Seeing is Believing

COLOR

The spectrum of full color, vividly and faithfully reproduced, is one of the distinct advantages when creating out of home campaigns. Designs bursting with brilliant color can evoke emotional responses that will arouse lasting impressions and create stopping power. It is essential that out of home designs are easy to read. Choose colors with high contrast in both hue and value. Contrasting colors are viewed well from great distances while colors with low contrast will blend together and obscure a message. In fact, research demonstrates that high color contrast can improve out of home advertising recall by 38 percent.

Sufficient kerning between letters assures legibility from far distances. Tight kerning reduces legibility causing adjacent letters to attach together visually. Without proper kerning “clear morn” could be interpreted as “dear mom.”

Kerning

StackingA single horizontal line of text allows rapid assimilation of a message without interruption. Multiple text lines increase the time needed to discern a message.

LeadingIf more than one text line is necessary, use adequate leading between lines. When a line of text rides on the line below the interplay of descenders and ascenders it will make a message difficult to read.

Overcrowding. Compressed type or too many words will reduce the clarity of a message.

Excessive. Extreme variations between ascending and descending letter segments and serifs greatly reduces legibility.

Anemia. Fine typefaces will fade into a background, becoming indistinguishable as the viewing distance increases.

Overweight. Heavy typefaces lose their basic shape when the viewing distance is increased.

Illegibility. Ornate and sans serif typefaces can be difficult to read, reducing the effectiveness of an out of home design.

Simplicity is the fundamental guideline for creating good out of home designs and the same principles apply when designing for digital billboards.

Avoid using a white background when designing for LED or other light emitting technologies. White is a mixture of all color in these situations, rather than an absence of color, and will appear subdued or muddy. White does not carry the same vibrancy that other colors convey.

The perception of color can change depending on the amount of ambient light surrounding a digital out of home display unit. For this reason, rich background colors are more impactful during daylight hours, while pastel backgrounds are more vibrant at night and on cloudy days. Digital out of home display technology can automatically compensate for these factors.

Designing for Digital Billboards

FlexibilityTake advantage of the flexibility that digital out of home media offers. Change messages weekly, daily or even hourly. Design with a creative strategy that tells a story or communicates numerous details using multiple design layouts.

ProductionArt files are very small and there are no production or installation charges when utilizing digital out of home media. The preferred file size will vary depending on the size and dot pitch of the unit. It’s a good idea to create the files at actual size. This provides the sharpest possible image by alleviating the need to “down sample” the artwork before use. Down sampling will cause the image to become “fuzzy” and hurt the overall impact of the design. Designing at the actual pixels’ density will prevent the accidental use of extremely small type.

Benefits

Digital vs Vinyl

LocationLocationOut of home advertising conveys the right message, to the right audience, at the right time, in the right place.

Understanding the dynamics of the marketplace is essential for designing effective out of home campaigns.

Finding relevant and hidden relationships between the message and the environment makes the advertising smart.

Out of home advertising is a frequency medium that provides multiple exposures to a message throughout the full duration of a campaign period.

The perceptions of what isimportant about a brand without the conscious or verbal recognition on the consumer’s part. Repeated exposure to advertising creates top-of-mind awareness and recall.

To avoid memory decline, multiple design executions for a campaign should be implemented simultaneously or introduced at appropriate intervals during the campaign period.

FrequencyFrequency

Multiple Executions Campaigns that use multiple executions and a variety of display formats deliver impact and continuity that can extend the awareness of a campaign over time.

Media Weight Out of home campaigns can experience awareness decline once consumers learn about messagebenefits. Therefore, fresh creative executions introduced over time will continue to build the awareness and impact of a campaign.

Factors Affecting Message Retention

Competition Competitive influences can affect the longevity of an out of home campaign. Competitors who advertise similar product benefits or use similar design elements in a campaign will confuse a viewer.

Seasonality People are mobile year-round, so out of home advertising is not affected by seasonal cycles of behavior.

Established Presence Effective out of home designs, using an appropriate level of media weight, can sustain awareness after a campaign has ended. Studies have shown there is no significant drop in awareness up to six weeks after an out of home campaign concludes.

Target Audiences The composite of primary and subsequent target audiences can affect the longevity of an out of home campaign. By positioning an out of home message in relation to specified geographic targets, the message will more accurately impact the intended demographic audiences.

Consider these important Out-Of-Home design guidelines when creating a campaign.

Is the letter size large enough?

Are the images comprehensive?

Does the spacing between the letters, words and lines aid legibility?

Do the colors properly convey a high contrast of value and hue?

Are the fonts easy to read?

ClearChannelOutdoor.com

Testimonial

“We’re astounded by the business results.”Gary SingerSVP & Account Director, Leo Burnett

Simplicity is the key to creating great OOH Design.A billboard’s main purpose is functionality. Creating a billboard is mainly about making it read. Even the best design is worthless if it is not legible from a distance. It is only after legibility has been mas-tered that creativity can follow.

Although very similar, there are variances in designing for digital as opposed to traditional Out-of-Home. With that in mind, listed here are Clear Channel Outdoor’s recommended guidelines for designing a digital billboard.

Make the text largeOutdoor designs should be simple, clear and easy to read. Digital Bul-letins should be legible from 500 feet away.

Use bold, non-serif fontsAlways use large, legible typefaces. At 500 feet, thin lines optically fade or break up. Avoid decorative, italic, or serif fonts. As a general rule, upper and lower case sans serif fonts provide the best readability. When designing for digital outdoor, we highly recommend adding a thin dark stroke around the text to separate it from the background.

Stick to one message or ideaSimplify everything. Don’t present a complex message or numerous images. Have one thing that you want your audience to do or to rec-ognize. The best outdoor media reduces a complex message to it’s essential elements.

Be short and sweetUse no more than ten words total on the entire billboard – and that includes the logo/product tagline. We recommend seven words or less for the headline. Keep the words short for faster comprehension.

ColorUse only RGB color files for digital displays. Design as you would for a website, TV or computer monitor.

Avoid white backgroundsTo achieve white, a combination of all three colors must be turned on to their maximum brightness. Consequently, white backgrounds will wash outand compete with the remainder of your creative.

ClearChannelOutdoor.com

Guideline & Specs

Outdoor lets your creative speak louder than words.

Use Bright Bold colorsStick with fully saturated web-safe hues. Complimentary colors, such as red and green, are not legible together because they have similar value. Contrasting color combinations work best for viewing outdoor designs at far distances.

Design with contrastBeing subtle does not work at great distances. Strong contrast in both hue and value are essential for creating good digital out-of-home.

Pick your image wiselyTake a small object and make it large (like a watch) rather than a large object small (like a building). Avoid using landscapes or complex scenes. We recommend 3 visual elements or less, total. For example: 1 image, 1 logo and 1 headline.

Forget about white spaceWhite space does not apply in Outdoor like in printed material. Increase your logo, font sizes and imagery! Having unused visual space at 300 - 500 feet is not recommended.

Test your ideaA billboard is not a print ad, the average viewing time is only about 5 seconds. A good test is to show the design to someone from a distance for only 5 seconds and then ask them about it. Did they understand it? Who was the advertiser? What do they think the advertiser wants them to do?

Digital production requirementsFile type - Uncompressed JPGColor mode - RGBArt pixel dimensions - 400h X 1400w

ClearChannelOutdoor.com

Guideline & Specs for Digital

Digital allows you to design multiple messages.