History of OOH
The Ancient Egyptians are believed to be the originators of out-of-home advertising, with the Ancient Grecians and Romans following after. Still, this field has origins far more ancient than initially thought.
45,000-year-old cave art exists in Indonesia illustrating a pig. Although simple, the message carries, notifying others of the existence of life that can be hunted. Out-of-home advertising has ancient origins, which has carried through history into a weave in the fabric of modern reality.
Out-of-home advertising may have traces tens of thousands of years in the past, but its rapid development began in 1450 with the invention of the printing press. It is a revolutionary technology that sped up human advancement like nothing else.
From the 1400s to the 21st century, allow this glimpse into time to teach you the ways of the OOH forefathers to the digitally-enclaved newcomers.
The Beginning and The Middle
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450, providing the ability to disseminate information to mass audiences rapidly. No longer was hand scribing required, but now a much quicker process was available. This gave rise to the handbill, or flier, the most basic form of advertising that started it all.
Time was relatively uneventful for out-of-home advertising until the 1800s. This era sparked massive growth and progress in the advertising industry, paired with the Industrial Revolution, pushing technological advancement even more.
The 1800s resulted in posters and oversized versions that were used to direct passersby to local shops, with a touch of modern strategic timing beginning to be employed during rush hours. Jared Bell created the first oversized poster in 1835 for circus advertisements. Then, 1867 was a landmark year, resulting in the first leased billboard.
Companies began vending billboards, only around a few hundred, and the Associated Bill Posters Association of the U.S. and Canada was formed towards the end of the century. This company is still around and is now known as the OAAA (Out of Home Advertising Association of America).
More of The Middle, Nearing The End
The early 1900s featured the normalization of billboard advertising. Standard sizes were determined, and with the creation of roadways, advertisers saw profitable opportunities across the United States. This was when highway signage began cropping up alongside roads with the invention of cars.
Out-of-home advertising began solidifying as commonplace advertising as agencies were formed to promote it, like the OAI, later merged with the OAAA. The United States government even used billboards to promote their agendas and messages.
This era institutionalized billboards within American culture and reality, allowing it to become as common as seeing clouds. The use of billboards and OOH grew throughout this century to various formats like transit shelters and expanded in numbers. The last notable advancement of this century was around the 90’s with rules and regulations.
Regulations were set unto OOH to filter the messages allowed to be displayed, which was a clever decision. The 1900s catalyzed OOH advertising growth, ushering in the new age of out-of-home advertising, DOOH (digital out-of-home).
The End (aka Now)
From the 2000s to the current 2020s, massive growth has been seen in the out-of-home industry and advertising as a whole. The field has changed from the meek but mighty printing press from digital formats like DOOH to augmented and virtual reality advertising capabilities and AI.
We are living through the next great technological revolution, and OOH is already experiencing its next transformation. Only time can tell what this dynamic industry will bear next.
