In an era where consumer attention is increasingly scarce, dentsu and JCDecaux present their joint research study “Captivating on the GO”. This groundbreaking research demonstrates how (Digital) Out-of-Home advertising taps into consumer attention, emotion, and behaviour in real-life contexts.

The study combines eye-tracking in urban environments, facial coding, and large-scale survey research to analyse how different OOH environments (street, metro, and shopping centres) and motion formats influence campaign effectiveness.

Key findings from the research:

• OOH is effectively seen: 56% of passers-by fixate on OOH advertisements, confirming that the medium is actively consumed and visible in daily life.
• Attention is short but powerful: Consumers spend an average of only 1 to 2 seconds looking at an advertisement, but this is sufficient for brand recognition when the message is clear and simple.
• Context determines impact: The same campaign performs differently depending on the environment:
  • Street generates maximum reach
  • Metro offers higher engagement and positive brand impact
  • Shopping centres ensure stronger recall and message transfer
• Combining environments amplifies effect: Deploying multiple OOH contexts creates synergy and increases overall campaign impact.
• OOH also works subconsciously: Exposure can influence behaviour even without explicit recollection of the advertisement, indicating a strong implicit brand impact.
• Creative design drives emotion: OOH is inherently a neutral medium, but when combined with strong creative execution, it becomes a powerful driver of brand impact and action.

The research underscores the shift from traditional reach metrics to quality of attention and touchpoints, and provides concrete guidelines for more effective OOH strategies within today's attention economy.

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