CANNES – In early June, U.S. out of home ad spending posted its highest-ever Q1 revenue, hitting $1.98 billion. Just looking at that figure from an Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) report, indicated that the oldest form of mass media was having a sudden resurgence.
But look a little deeper, said Brian Rappaport, founder and CEO of Quan Media Group. Noting that OOH actually posted 16 consecutive quarters of growth, he rejected a question about whether the channel is simply “having a moment” as attention on short-form video and retail media networks command the ad industry spotlights.
“Out of-home is very much here [to stay],” Rappaport told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. “A lot of brands are realizing the power in the channel. It’s not just an awareness play, it’s a growth play.”
The transformation of out of home from static billboards to a data-driven, measurable medium has attracted increased advertiser investment. As Rappaport noted, brands can now build plans based on audience and strategy, reach specific targets, and do so at lower CPMs than other channels.
Beyond the bus shelter
Experiential OOH represents the channel’s creative evolution. Rappaport described it as “forming a meaningful connection one-to-one with the consumer” by transforming traditional outdoor advertising into immersive experiences.
“Maybe that’s taking a bus shelter and completely retrofitting it, building it out, and creating more of an experience,” he said. “When people are sitting there, they don’t feel like they’re just sitting in a bus shelter, but they’re sitting on Mars as we’ve done for a crypto brand.”
This approach allows consumers to immerse themselves in a brand, creating connections that go beyond traditional advertising exposure.
Digital drives flexibility
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of digital OOH as brands needed to be quicker and more flexible with their messaging. But the appeal extends beyond speed.
“Being able to tap into APIs, being able to do what we did with the [prediction market platform] Kalshi during the election, where we had real-time results of who was leading in the presidential election and showing people actually trading on the election,” Rappaport explained, citing a campaign that displayed real-time election trading data for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
This dynamic capability transforms digital screens from simple ad displays into real-time information sources, showcasing data and statistics that engage audiences in new ways.
‘New Tradition,’ new opportunities
When asked about industry standouts, Rappaport praised his company’s partner New Tradition, calling them “role models” for their entrepreneurial success on the sales side while he built Quan on the buy side.
“They have built out this incredible inventory roster,” he said. “Whether it is beautiful news screens in Las Vegas, whether it’s an incredible suite of static inventory, including one of the largest digital screens in the country in Los Angeles, whether it is literally making the Nashville market relevant.”
New Tradition’s strategic acquisitions and asset development have made them an easy addition to media plans. “If a partner has exciting inventory, it’s a good thing,” Rappaport noted.
AI enhances audience precision
While acknowledging AI as the “cliche answer” at Cannes, Rappaport sees genuine applications for OOH planning. The technology can help agencies drill deeper into audience briefs and understand brand audiences with unprecedented precision.
“If we’re looking at a core B2B business decision-maker with a certain household income and we’re able to understand [their advertising investments, we can ask if they] are at these events. Are they at F1 Miami? Are they at South by Southwest? Where do they spend their winter months?” Rappaport said. “It all of a sudden makes our out of home plans that much smarter.”
AI can also analyze previous campaigns to build playbooks showing where brands and their audiences consistently appear, enabling more strategic planning and optimization.
“I’m not one of those naysayers — ‘old man yells at cloud’ — that AI is going to change my job for the worst,” Rappaport said. “I think it’s really going to help make it better.”
The oldest ad medium’s newest chapter
As the industry embraces data, measurement, and technology, OOH continues to prove its relevance. The combination of lower costs, improved targeting, and creative possibilities has driven consistent growth.
“Once brands have started to realize that out of home is such a vast ecosystem — that yes, it’s digital, it’ s programmatic, it’s painted walls, it’s in hotel rooms, it’s being place-based — we then realize that there’s so many different ways to reach a given audience,” Rappaport said.
His recurring theme remains reaching audiences where they live, work, and play. With AI enhancing that capability, Rappaport sees continued growth ahead. “When you measure the whole thing, and you’re starting to prove out efficiency, that’s all you really need.”
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