Well, it appears outdoors. The billboard is a prehistoric remain that can still stun you if used well. I believe that it has real power to grab one’s attention, but needs to be creatively used. Who is it for? For all the passersby, no matter whether they walk, run, drive, or ride.

The key to its effectiveness is creative execution. Nowadays, this media is losing popularity. I suppose advertisers are getting lazy and would rather turn to “easier” media instead of putting in the extra effort that outdoor media requires. But outdoor media has its strengths and can fight back with its proximity—even though it is not at all digital. OK, it can be digital. But should it be? In my opinion, can is enough.

It can deliver strong verbal or visual messages. But the challenge is to be simple. Very simple. And I’m really proud of working in the advertising business when I see some of these on the streets:

And there is one more thing: Outdoor media can easily be integrated with digital tools or connected to any other element of a 360-degree campaign. I’m not talking about the QR codes placed on the poster, of course. But many kinds of cross-tool traffic generation can be implemented. A couple of years ago I saw a well-placed billboard poster that was turned into a digital screen showing live Facebook posts.

And if you create a good poster, it will rapidly appear on Facebook; photos of the ad will shortly be shared like any article. Moreover, these posters can generate articles offline as well. They can get hyped and easily become urban attractions. But only if they’re well done. Really well done.