Advertising to Gen Z via Digital OOH

Digital natives are the generations brought up alongside the age of the internet and the digital landscape—Generation Z being the truest form of this. Advertising has become increasingly tricky for this generation, particularly on the social media and digital landscape.

Aware of every trick, how to block every pop-up, and hovering over the skip button on every ad, Gen Z has perfected advertising avoidance and views ads as an irritating inconvenience. This might be the most challenging generation to digitally advertise to, therefore calling the need for tried and true physical advertising—authentic and trusted OOH with a digital spin: DOOH. 

Digital out-of-home advertising combines billboards and other OOH formats that have been technologically enhanced. Various DOOH formats include digital billboards, interactive displays, and dynamic experiential installations. These bright, bold, and creative visual experiences connect with Gen Z’s favor towards the digital. When tailored and designed to not only stand out to this generation but also promote a sense of understanding and community within the larger digital culture, DOOH is able to mesh seamlessly into Gen Z pop culture and relevancy. Mastering the advertising landscape in the Gen Z world can be tricky, but knowing all the nuances will navigate you to success. Here are a couple of things to consider:

Why DOOH Out of All Advertising Options?

OOH, particularly DOOH, can be the next big thing within Generation Z. With OOH’s innate style of long-form content, regardless of digital or static formats, it has the power to not only connect with the fluxes and nuances of Generation Z’s appeals, but also be the next producer of their highly profitable trends.

Through Stanley cups and Sambas to Owala bottles and Birkenstock clogs, trends begin and fade extremely quickly with Gen Z. DOOH has the capability to catch attention through its high-impact and bright digital displays. At the same time, growing audience favors through long-term campaigns and (hopefully) clever ads.

This form of advertising directly opposes short-form and rapidly dissipating content trends that Gen Z is attached to on TikTok, Instagram, etc. DOOH can introduce long-term trends, aesthetics, and various lifestyle atmospheres—a world that is the modern-day essence of Gen Z. Long-term profitability and virality can be yours.

How Does DOOH Relate To Gen Z?

Digital OOH advertising follows the same dynamic rhythm as this generation’s cultural experiences. Social media platforms are an integral part of Gen Z’s life, and with such a sheer amount of users, content, and styles constantly flow in and out. With so many of these younger users in a perpetual search for a perfect lifestyle vibe or aesthetic (romanticized lifestyle ideations), popularity in consumer goods is ever-changing to satisfy this capricious mindset.

Especially with digital culture flitting trendiness and popularity to one thing and the next, it’s difficult for this generation to keep up with what is in or out—an item trendy one day can be canceled the next with one unfortunate viral moment. This is how trend cycles rise and fall so quickly with Gen Z—DOOH can be the remedy for this. A campaign of perfectly placed and culturally in-tune ad formats, with the capabilities to digitally shift messages depending on current happenings, has the power to set a trend and popularity in stone for as long as the ads run. Not only does DOOH fight the volatile short-form trend cycles, but it creates something that lasts.

Pitfalls and The Grand Scheme of Things

A DOOH ad’s sheer existence is not all it takes to succeed. Digital OOH ads must be nuanced and not obnoxious. Having grown up on the testing ground for countless social and digital ads, Gen Z has a sixth sense that immediately avoids and shuts them down. This is why DOOH ads must be clever, relatable, humorous, and not in your face. In a way, you must have Gen Z believing it was their idea to engage with your ad, not due to blatant pushy marketing tactics. Connecting with the Gen Z culture and humor is one of the best ways to ensure your DOOH advertising hits the nail.

Have your next DOOH ad be the message that has Gen Z put their phones down and set their gaze on a fresh, clever, and attractive style of advertising. Grant them the real-world experiences they have been craving. It takes only one DOOH ad at the right time and place for an upheaval of intense internet virality—plus an entire trend initiated in your name.