A strong out-of-home (OOH) ad leverages creative thinking, puts content where people will see it, and has the potential to be shared online. From cleverly branded buses to bizarre alien billboards, here are five recent OOH campaigns that caught our eye and why we think campaigns like this will help drive a projected 6.5% YoY growth in US OOH ad spend this year, reaching $9.51 billion.

Transit transformation: A city bus advertising the new “Mean Girls” remake and a shiny NYC MTA train advertising Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” film took OOH to the streets—and the subway tunnels—to draw attention to the already recognizable brands.

Why it works: In Q1 2023, US OOH ad spend on public transportation, hotels, and resorts increased by 40.0% over the same quarter from the previous year, according to a May 2023 Out of Home Advertising Association of America study. Following several years of working from home, people are returning to offices, which means more eyeballs on transit ads.

Source: @Popcravenow on Threads

Hear ye, Sphere ye: Since the Las Vegas Sphere opened in September 2023, the eye-catching orb has served as a billboard for campaigns for Target’s mascot Bullseye, Android’s robot during CES, Heineken’s beer during a Formula 1 race, and many more.

Why it works: Las Vegas is a tourist and event hub, which means ads on its new Sphere can target people going to conventions, sporting event attendees, and concert audiences who flock to the city. A campaign spot on the Sphere is pricey, but the 360-degree billboard also tends to go viral on social media, meaning campaigns that happen in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas.

Source: Target on Instagram

Out of this world: MoonPie made a series of OOH ads specifically targeting extraterrestrials in various alien hotspots across the US. The ads used a made-up language and futuristic graphics to reach aliens and curious humans alike.

Why it works: MoonPie used these ads to capitalize on the cultural event of the ongoing congressional extraterrestrial hearings. The brand also kept the ads weird and unexplained, leading viewers to dig deeper to understand the content. The move is a risk as good ads tend to be easy to understand and respond to, but as UFO sightings show, confusion can also be a useful tool to spread buzz.

Source: MoonPie Alien Acquisition website

Public disruption: Oatly created an OOH campaign that played on street art, creating signs that read, “This piece of art is here to tell you we know that ads are not appreciated here!,” which then transformed to say, “This piece of art is here to tell you we are here!” along with a carton of Oatly.

Why it works: Oatly placed English-written ads in Paris, which looked to some like a cultural catastrophe. But Oatly’s OOH ads weren’t focused exclusively on passersby. The OOH ads were likely created with the intention of going viral online.

Source: @socialmediadissect on Instagram

Prime wordplay: Amazon’s new billboards use wordplay and celebrity spotlights to advertise the myriad different services on Amazon Prime. One ad, for example, reads “Post Card” and features musician Post Malone and a deck of cards, advertising everything “from game changers to card games.”

Why it works: Amazon’s OOH ads play to two of the company’s strengths—its flywheel and its deep pockets. The ads boast Prime’s entertainment and retail offerings, two pieces of Amazon’s flywheel (the third being advertisements themselves). And Amazon was able to use its budget to get big-name celebrities that people recognize.

Source: Wieden+Kennedy on Instagram

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