Outdoor advertising is the oldest form of advertising. It is seen when people are out of doors. It catches the eyes of passerby. It is mainly meant for moving an audience without any cost their part.
The main purpose of the outdoor advertisement is to draw the attention of the public towards the product or services and to supplement other media.
The importance of outdoor advertising has been increasing during recent years. It rakes many forms.
Types of Outdoor Advertising
The following are important types of outdoor advertising:
1. Posters
The poster advertisement is exhibited on a hoarding or on walls, roofs, fences or even high up in the sky. It produces good effects and costs less than any other media.
Design, picture, and lettering are important in poster advertisement.
The poster should be simple, attractive and capable of telling its story at a glance.
Sometimes, posters are pasted on cardboards or metallic sheets and exhibited at public places. One can see posters at bus stops, railway stations, and market places. “50 Fresh Examples Of Advertising Posters“.
2. Painted Displays or Metal Signs
Posters generally fade in colors and spoiled due to rain and dust.
Hence, metal and painted signs are used to advertise.
These can be displayed for a very long time.
They can be kept polished and shining. They prove to be economical in the long run.
They can be easily visible from a distance. They can bear the climatic effect.
Related: 17 Essential Principles of Effective Advertising.
3. Wall Paintings
The wall paintings are found in cities, towns, and even villages and are more durable than posters.
The surface of the painted walls may be bricks or wood. The wall or surface can be hired.
As the need arises, the message can be changed or maintained while repainting.
4. Electric Light Signs
Sign boards illuminated by electricity can be seen in large numbers in cities.
They have presented wit attractive letters and colored bulbs. Colors are changed at short intervals.
Another device used is to turn on the lights on one letter at a time.
Sometimes, the message of advertising is illuminated with a rotation by changing the lights.
The effect of motion is also created with a picture.
5. Neon Signs
Advertisement is also presented with brilliant tubs in various shades.
The tubes can be of the still or the flashing type.
These signs look more attractive but the cost of this device is high.
Related: 9 Types of Direct Mail Advertising (With Examples).
6. Travelling Displays
It is also known as transit advertising or car cards. These are painted on metallic sheets.
Car cards are usually affixed inside buses, taxis, trains, etc.
Passengers can see and read these advertisements repeatedly.
7. Van Advertising
Displays can also be made on the front, sides, and backs of vehicles and vans.
These advertisements reach a large audience of riders and non-riders.
These are made of durable materials.
It is a mass media and has got a repetitive value.
8. Banners
Banners are made of cloths and words are written in colors.
They are tied on the top of buildings, road crossings, stadiums, and play filed for the publicity of goods.
9. Railway Stations
Advertising can be placed on railway stations. These may be in the form of posters.
The passengers have to wait on the railway platform for a longer period.
Hence, they have the opportunity to read posters.
10. Sky Writing
This is a modern form of advertising. It may take several forms.
Messages can be written on balloons that are floated in the air. Banners are released from airplanes.
Sometimes, pilots make an image of the products or write the message in the form of smoke in the sky.
Revolving searchlight is used by the circus for publicity.
11. Sandwich Men
This is the oldest and traditional form off outdoor advertising. Sandwich men dress up funnily and carry boards.
They shout slogans in favor of the company’s products.
In this medium, a man is made to bear on this front and back two posters.
Sandwich men parade in the required localities, drawing the attention of the people to the message on the posters.
Another form of this advertising is to make a man tall, by attaching supporters to his legs and make him wander through busy streets.
He shouts the trade name or signs advertising song.
Advantages of Outdoor Advertising
Following are the important benefits of outdoor advertising:
- It makes a wide appeal to all classes of society.
- It has a colorful effect and dramatic appeal to a slogan.
- It can be used in a certain locality.
- It is durable. Posters, hoardings or billboards remain before the public eye for a long time.
- It appeals even to the illiterate persons.
- It gives scope for skill and art in the preparation of posters.
- It has a high degree of legibility and can be read from a distance without any special effort.
- It is economical also because the painted and traveling displays last for a longer period.
- It sometimes helps to cover up the ugliness of walls and buildings.
- It reminds the prospects of the product.
- It supplements other media of advertising.
- It fills out the idle hour with interest when we are traveling in busses or waiting at the bus stand.
- It increases the employment opportunity as people are employed in pasting the posters, etc.
Related: 14 Bases for Market Segmentation (Explained with Examples).
Disadvantages of Outdoor Advertising
Following are the limitations of outdoor advertising:
- It remains brief, No we can outdoor advertising messages be made in detail.
- It is costlier. Media like skywriting, use of ballons, etc, cannot be repeated again and again.
- Its effectiveness cannot be measured easily. There is every possibility of waste in such advertising.
- It lacks novelty. It is hardly changed over the years.
- It is also argued that it uglifies the areas. Advertisers go on pasting posters on compound walls of buildings. Such stacking of bills becomes an ‘ugly spot‘.
- It can serve merely as ‘reminder advertising’ rather than educational or ‘argumentative‘ advertising.
- Posters and hoardings disturb the attention of riders on the road. Hence, there is a fear of accidents in peak hours of traffic.
- It is not suitable for a producer operating on the national network.
Thus, now you know the major types of outdoor advertising.
More:
Leave a Reply