AI Billboards, Out-of-Home Market Challenges, and more!

As the year slowly comes to a close, it’s becoming clear that 2025 was not as strong as everyone in the Out-of-Home industry had hoped. There is more to the story, of course, as we examine the different angles of why that is. Alongside future projections, some more promising than others, we came across news on the realms of hardware, AI, and market expansion.

“Transparent” AI billboard produced at record speed!

It’s always exciting to discover new eye-catching technology in the field. While technology such as curved and transparent displays is not new, it’s not as common as you would expect. The story is similar with e-paper displays, for example. The technology is known to most, but it’s not really adopted technology which is seen in most businesses. An interesting sight this month, we saw a campaign merely mimicking transparent display tech!

Google Indonesia, together with DDB Group Singapore and Superson, has launched an Out-of-Home campaign featuring video content generated by AI technologies, Veo 3, and Nano Banana. The billboard isn’t actually transparent, it only appears like it. The campaign marks the first commercial implementation of AI video generation technology at large-scale outdoor advertising in Indonesia. 

The highlight here is the speed at which the content was produced: 40 15-second video assets in just a few weeks! Ordinarily, this production would take several months. It’s a glimpse at what AI will bring to the table in the future. As it inevitably becomes more sophisticated, the speed and quality of content will rise. With it, the possibilities will grow.

The era of comfort in OOH is ending

2025 was supposed to be a big year for digital signage. Now as we approach its end, it is clear this is not the case. A recent post by Florian Rotberg on invidis, paints a clear picture of the industry’s status at this time. Q4 is yet to happen, but it cannot make up for the quarters before it. With that said, the revenue isn’t the only noteworthy topic, but also the massive shake-up happening behind the scenes.

Integrators and ISVs are tearing down old structures, trimming  teams, and rebuilding their businesses to fit the shape of standardized and scalable platforms. Big moves are happening, and are likely going to continue. AI is most definitely a huge disruptor of everything, and OOH is no exception. 

First worth noting is the AI which makes decisions and manages networks, an approach that will only grow in popularity. Then there is generative AI which is becoming more sophisticated by the day, inevitably raising the speed at which content is produced on-demand. The article really outlines the key point that competition is rising, and businesses will need to step out of their comfort zones significantly if they intend on competing.

European LED makers become appealing to American buyers

European LED providers normally struggle to break into the Americas which are typically dominated by Korean, Chinese, and US brands. We can see the opposite in Alfalite, the Spanish company known for precision-engineered LED walls. It struck a partnership with Adistec Corp. of Miami, USA, a distributor of infrastructure, software, and professional media solutions in Latin America and the United States.

This move opens the doors, not only for the companies involved, but also the influx of LED tech, raising the stability of supply chains and strengthening the connection to the European marketplace. In short, it makes European-made LED displays more attractive to US buyers, reducing exclusive dependence on other regions.

India’s OOH market outpaces global growth

Urban expansion, innovation, and the need for advertising is driving the growth of India’s Out-of-Home ad market. Global OOH growth is hovering around 5%. At the same time, India’s reached 5.8%, making it one of the fastest-growing markets. This is a good way to see the industry from a broader perspective and observe the movement and adoption of Out-of-Home advertising. We can see how certain elements react and tie in together.

Consider the current boom of urban infrastructure in India, with new metros, highways, and smart-city projects. They create real estate for advertising, opening up opportunities for displays and ads. Other factors to consider include the shift from static to digital billboards, as well as programmatic buying. Plenty of challenges remain, shared by the rest of the OOH industry. These include lack of audience measurement, high costs of digital screens, and an overall need for standardization.

Related to this topic is a post on global standardization of buying and selling ad space in the OOH world. By creating shared rules and formats for buying, verifying, and reporting OOH inventory, the industry can be more transparent and data-driven. In essence, it can begin operating like the world of online advertising, especially with the growth of programmatic OOH.

Avoiding tacky digital signage at all costs!

This month on the blog, among other posts, we talked about the importance and methods of avoiding tacky digital signage. It may sound like an unimportant matter, but it can make a significant difference on the way customers perceive your business. From another angle, there’s also the wasted potential stunning visuals can bring.

Some key points to consider are minimalism, consistent branding, limiting animations and transitions, using high resolution content, appropriate colors and fonts, as well as utilizing templates! Considering everything we talked about in this news set, it’s clear that creating an up-to-date competitive campaign takes more than it used to. Fortunately, digital signage software is keeping up by making uniformity an easier goal to accomplish. Check it out!