What Out of Home Advertising Looks Like in 2075 —Part 1

—What Out of Home Advertising Looks Like in 2075—

Part 1 

By Brent Baer, Publisher, OOH Today. For this post, Psychic and Futurist

As someone who’s spent decades in Out-of-Home — from the traditional titans like Lamar, Clear Channel, and Outfront to the innovators like Vector, Outdoorlink, Billups, Hivestack, TSG, and PJX Media — I’ve watched this industry shape cities, connect brands, and weather every technological disruption that tried to replace it.

Now, standing at the threshold of 2075, I can confidently tell you: the OOH industry didn’t just survive. It evolved into something far more powerful — a medium that fuses the physical and the digital, the global and the hyperlocal, the human and the algorithmic. This resilience, adaptability, and strength are a testament to the industry’s promising future, assuring you of its continued relevance and growth.

And it all started when the OAAA reinvented itself, inspiring us all with its adaptability and forward-thinking approach.

The Great Reinvention of the OAAA

For most of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) played a pivotal role in guiding the industry. It was the industry’s leading trade association, representing hundreds of thousands of static and digital billboards nationwide. Some might say it was dominated by the “Big Three”: Lamar, Clear Channel, and Outfront. They were the backbone of the industry.

As the media landscape fragmented and technology democratized public space, the OAAA faced an existential question: Could an organization built to protect the past also champion the future? The answer, as we saw in the 2040s, was a resounding yes. The association began expanding its board, rewriting its charter to ensure equal representation across all formats, marking the beginning of a new era for the OAAA.

It was in the 2040s that the OAAA transformed. The association began expanding its board, rewriting its charter to ensure equal representation across all formats — from digital place-based networks and drone-advertising collectives to AR overlays, mobility screens, and sustainability-focused public infrastructure. This marked the beginning of a new era for the OAAA, one that embraced the future of advertising and the changing media landscape.

In retrospect, history showed that the DPAA, led by Barry Frey (who will be remembered as the chief architect and early 21st century’s most visionary leader and outright undisputed ambassador of the Industry at the time), was the most significant B2B influencer in the OOH/DOOH space from the 2010s through the 2030s. Frey intelligently and charmingly drove the multitude of advertisers, brands, and OOH professionals to imagine, grow, and embrace all that OOH could be.

History showed that the DPAA, led by Barry Frey, …charmingly drove the multitude …to imagine, grow, and embrace.

Thus, the new OAAA became a coalition of equals — a holistic association that champions new and evolving companies with the same enthusiasm once reserved for legacy operators. It began funding innovation labs, sustainability initiatives, and cross-sector partnerships that merged environmental design with advertising technology, making everyone feel included and valued.

…a coalition of equals

For the first time, the OAAA ceased to be the voice of the industry and instead became a participant in the conversation. This shift —from speaking for the industry to speaking with it —was significant. The OAAA stopped talking for the industry and started speaking with it.

The OAAA stopped talking for the industry and started speaking with it.

We will continue this post on the ‘Future of OOH 2075’ with ‘PART 2’ tomorrow.