The arena outside our homes is not empty but full of “what meets the eye”. One of the things that the eye will meet once you move out of your home is, “Out of Home” display advertisements or call them “Adverts on the Go”. This type of advertising reaches the consumer outside the home. It is a contrast to electronic, broadcast and internet advertising; Out of home display advertising remains popular and cost effective. The moment you step out of the house into the street, your eye will meet with a lot of out of home advertising which is worth time and investment to business owners.

Out of home display advertising is categorized into four main formats and include; the billboards which is part of advertising life, they provide an additional amount of flexibility to the advertising companies. It focuses on specific venues or events, routes which are used to realize market saturation. The inflatable billboard is a kind of board that can stand anywhere; it is a special version of the billboard advertising.

The next category is the street furniture which comprises formats like bus shelters, telephone booths, news racks and mall kiosks. This form of advertising is commonly seen in urban centers and targets communities: the people who sit in the shelters waiting for transport. Then, there is the category of advertising that is placed on anything that is moving – it is called transit advertising. This includes subways, trackside and airport advertising. And the final category is the alternative advertising which includes; gas pumps, stadiums and rest areas. This form of advertising targets people when they are in the most unexpected areas.

Out of home advertisement is not about billboards there is more to it. It involves several other methods which are not the big signs that are put on the side of the road (billboards). Park bench advertising is an example of a means of advertising that employ out of home display advertising. It is done on the sides of the location where buses and taxis park. This is very strategic and the population that is found within and around the park quickly become aware of this advert and they repeatedly see it day in day out as they visit the park.

Another means of advertising that employs out of home display advertising is the use of “Sandwich Boards”. This form of out of home display advertising is usually found outside cafes and restaurants. It attracts the attention of people walking by through the sidewalks and draws them to come inside for a special offer by the establishment. Subways are yet another means of employing out of home display advertising in metropolitan areas as trains are a means of public transportation.

A key factor about out of home display advertising is that it is a continual reminder to the consumers who see them daily. In a way, out of home display advertising is a way to sell to the captive onlookers. An advertisement may have been seen many a times or maybe not, but each encounter will help to emphasize the awareness of the service or good that is being sold.

Reference: Advertising > Different Types of Outdoor Advertising