How Digital Signage is Changing the Landscape of Advertising

Before it was all static and monotone. "With the screens, everything changed". This particular phrase was relevant 20 years ago and it’s still relevant today. The thing is that the screens have changed too, and they keep changing. Digital signage is constantly pushing the boundaries of what great advertising may be. And we think it’s beautiful. Let’s see what’s hot in the domain of digital advertising today.

"Impressive" engagement

Digital signage advertising is engaging. That’s the fact. When you’ve got the whole world of visual capabilities the displays possess it’s a sin not to use them to the full force. And many advertisers around the world do just that. 

Why there’s an adjective “impressive” in this headline? Because engagement per se is not enough in the experience economy. That’s why companies look for innovative ways to interact with the target audience.

While a digital billboard is cool, how about a gigantic 3D ad that immediately captures the attention? Of course, video walls are nice, but if there are not 5 but 50 screens tied together showing thrilling content? 

This is the kind of conversation today’s advertisers are having. And digital signage technology is there to serve as a drawing tool for the most daring advertising dreams to make them a reality. Consumers are only winning in this race for excitement. As technologies like AI, AR, and holograms are developing, the ways companies can use them with the help of digital signage advertising only grow. 

We propose to look at the coolest applications of digital signage advertising and analyze how it’s done.

3D billboards

It’s irresistible and attention-grabbing. It’s a new advertising craze and it’s fully enabled by digital signage. 3D billboards are here to stay and they look amazing. 

Just look at this Nike ad that rolled out in Tokyo. The shoe is there, it feels real, and it feels like it’s traversing the billboard and hovering over the street in its gargantuan Air Max glory. That’s exactly how you turn heads and make people interested in your product. 

There are certainly visual fatigue risks connected with this novel advertising trend. People are quickly bored with digital novelties nowadays. As TikTok challenges, these things come and go. But we firmly believe that it’s not only about the 3D wow factor here. It’s also about the way you’re telling the story. And the engaging character of 3D DOOH allows companies to better interact with their audience and include an element of excitement into the mix. And that’s always a great thing for advertising. 

Here’s an article to find out more about 3D ads: https://blog.kitcast.tv/ar-billboards/

Screen-enabled AR advertising

Screens are easy to interact with. With the advancement in AR technology, advertising becomes even more interesting. 

As an example of a fantastic combined AR and digital signage campaign, we would like to share this Sky Österreich’s Walking Dead promotion stunt. It’s really one of the most creative DOOH campaigns ever and many advertisers can learn a lesson from execution here. 

With the help of digital screens and AR, advertisers were able to bridge the online and offline worlds in a flawless manner. Not only did people interact with the ad, but they actually become participants in the action, the heroes of a micro-adventure involving zombies. It was not only about the awareness about the release of a new season of a popular TV show. The campaign also interacted with people on an emotional level and that’s quite an achievement right there. 

That’s why AR blended with the power of the screens is an unlimited source of cool advertising ideas. 

We’ve got a handy guide on interactive digital signage, check it out here: https://blog.kitcast.tv/interactive-digital-signage-guide/

Regular billboards. But differently

Billboard ads are not going anywhere. They are the ground zero of outdoor advertising and people are used to them. Maybe it’s a problem, though. When you’re accustomed to a thing it becomes less interesting and just mundane. 

This drives brands to look for more innovative ways to do the classic billboard. Here’s a lesson from Adidas. In 2022 they produced one of the coolest digital signage advertising campaigns. Yes, we’re talking about their “Liquid Billboard”, a promotional stunt bridging the digital, the physical, and the online.

The company put an actual billboard on a popular Dubai beach to promote a new range of women’s swimwear. The catch? It doubled as a tank with water. And there was a transparent acrylic screen too. Basically, it was a sort of digital signage-driven swimming pool with an outdoor ad. And we loved this campaign, it showed that creativity has no limits and the ordinary should definitely be challenged.  

Fancy knowing more about innovative billboards in advertising? Check this article: https://blog.kitcast.tv/best-billboard-ads-that-inspired-us/