Out of Home

DTC, Back-to-School Brands Are Propelling Comeback of Outdoor Ads

Nothing says ‘brand legitimacy’ like a bold billboard as people return to the streets and parents prepare kids for the return of in-person classes

Billboards in Times Square — OOH’s shift to digital is also what is attracting DTC, as well as other categories, to the medium.Westend61/Getty Images

Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.

Now that consumers are congregating on the streets of major cities again, a resurgence of out of home ads appears to be following along. And direct-to-consumer marketers are particularly aiming to be out in front.

As an ad channel, OOH has always appealed to digitally native DTC companies as an immediate way to generate brand awareness. And since billboards literally loom larger-than-life over city landscapes, highways and public transportation platforms, they allow brands to make a similarly over-size impact using smaller budgets.

The