Tokyo to Toronto: Tough sledding to OOH’s Expansion, Innovation, and Accountability

OOH Today Weekend Update

By OOH TODAY believes all voices, not just the loudest, must be heard Last updated Jan 27, 2025

DPAA highlighted CES trends and networking, WOO announced the OOH Tokyo Conference 2025, and Reveal expanded Brand Lift Studies to Canada. Tom Cherry urged real-time proof of play, and a stunning banner transformed Buffalo’s Statler Hotel into an advertising landmark. A weekly recap of the top OOH stories you may have missed and colorful commentary from BB for the week ending January 25, 2025.

1. DPAA Brings Together DOOH Industry Leaders for Exclusive CES 2025 Experience

DPAA hosted a series of curated member experiences at CES, the world’s largest gathering for brands, media, tech, and innovation. Designed to help members navigate the event, activities included fireside chats, networking dinners, VIP technology tours, and the popular DOOH Cocktail Event. Highlights included insights from Quan Media Group, Gemini Crypto, and United Airlines, as well as discussions on storytelling, media integration, and data-driven strategies by brands like Lenovo, ESPN, RITE AID, and MGM Resorts.

The event showcased the growing impact of DOOH in marketing, with sessions on creative advertising, full-funnel strategies, and omni-channel planning. DPAA’s Global DOOH Cocktail Party brought industry leaders together, reinforcing the value of networking and innovation in driving the future of OOH media.

B.B.’s Take: I am going to say it…The CES’s bang is not worth the buck. OK, there, I said it. The caveat is, if you must attend the CES, do so via the DPAA. Barry and crew will manage to assist the event’s huge impact to make it worth your while. Plain English: if you insist on attending the CES, do it through the DPAA. As far as the DSE is concerned. Guided, curated, or otherwise, we recommend against. We have been to half a dozen, and it’s not worth the time or expense. Not enough valid OOH attention. I did not attend this year. And from the conversations I have had with the half dozen diehards who attended this year, it was a wash. So much so, that the event organizers are rejiggering it… with another new date …again.

2. Our WOO To Tokyo

The first OOH Tokyo Conference will be on February 20, 2025, at Tokyo Midtown Hall, organized by Japan’s OOH industry in partnership with the World Out of Home Organization (WOO). This marks WOO’s first involvement in an event in Japan during its 60+ years of existence. The conference, themed “From Japan to the world, from the world to Japan,” will explore emerging technologies, trends, and sustainable business models in the global OOH industry while highlighting Japan’s position as the third-largest OOH market.

The event will feature top global OOH leaders as keynote speakers and panelists, with participation from over 250 companies across 100+ countries. Attendees will explore Japan’s unique OOH success stories, network, and gain insights into global trends and innovations.

B.B.’s Take: Tokyo sounds like fun and a great opportunity to see another ‘grand daddy’ of OOH venue. I am not sure if WOO waltzes attendees around the market to share the insights of the OOH as DPAA does in Vegas for their hosted events. Tokyo. Third largest OOH market.

3. Reveal Lift Measurement to Canada

Reveal, a leader in Out of Home (OOH) measurement and attribution, has launched Brand Lift Studies and Footfall attribution studies in Canada, enabling advertisers to measure the effectiveness of multi-format OOH campaigns with precision. Building on over a decade of success in the U.S. through its Mira platform, Reveal brings trusted insights on brand awareness, foot traffic, and web activity to Canadian marketers, empowering them to make data-driven decisions and optimize campaign performance.

Reveal’s expansion marks a significant milestone in its global strategy. With its user-friendly Mira Console—available as self-service or managed service—clients can easily manage performance studies and access actionable data. Leaders at Reveal and Place Exchange emphasize the value of these services in delivering reliable results, helping Canadian advertisers enhance engagement and drive outcomes.

B.B.’s Take: Because Reveal is doing so darn well in the US, they are moving in to Canada. Which may very well be part of the US if our new President Trump is able to ratify the ‘Great Nort’ as the 51st state. Then would Reveal have an announcement? Yep that’s what we thought too.

4. The Billboard’s Missing Receipt

In Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, delayed proof of delivery is surprisingly common. While Amazon sets the gold standard by providing instant delivery photos to build trust, OOH often lags behind, leaving clients waiting for confirmation that their campaigns are running.

With today’s digital screens capable of tracking every ad they display, delivering proof of play should be as seamless as streaming a Netflix show. Yet, while some operators provide near-real-time data, others expect clients to wait days for essential updates. In a world where even coffee makers can post their status online, the OOH industry must step up and ensure timely, transparent proof for high-value campaigns. Trust in advertising, like in delivery, is earned through immediacy and reliability.

B.B.’s Take: Tom Cherry has developed a solid system in POP. More than photos, Cherry offers a another proof of delivery which may be worth your time to check out. As Tom says, “verification should be as automatic as your coffee maker’s 6am brew cycle.”

5. The Massive Josh Allen Gatorade Ad

In an extraordinary special build, Buffalo’s iconic Statler Hotel was transformed into a massive advertising canvas—an impressive feat given the area’s tight timeline and lack of large-format media inventory. Standing 225 feet tall and 160 feet wide, the Statler posed significant challenges, including extreme winds from its Lake Erie location and a 30-day campaign window.

To execute this monumental project, they installed a 120’ x 118’ vinyl banner on the hotel’s facade. Stability was ensured using over 50 railroad-tie reinforcements across vacant windows, creating secure docking points to anchor the banner. This engineering marvel overcame logistical hurdles and delivered a high-impact advertising solution in record time.

B.B.’s Take: A ‘Super Billboard for Josh Allen’ should have been the name of this story, in retrospect. As the KC Chiefs made sure the only way ‘super’ and Buffalo would be in the same sentence is as loser (oh that’s not nice) or Billboard. I like ‘Super Billboard’ better.

A cool special build pulled off by Jeff Cohen and crew at InWindow. And just in time, as my Chiefs took Josh and the Bills off the table for a third consecutive year there will be no Buffalo in the Super Bowl. But it is a nice super billboard.

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