Yet amid all that change, one of its most familiar formats continues to hold its ground: the classic billboard.
Bel Harper, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at oOh!media, has always been an advocate for Classic and says it’s encouraging to see its enduring value being recognised in the digital era.
“Classic delivers scale, longevity and physical presence,” she said. “There’s something powerful about a medium that becomes part of the environment.
“It builds familiarity, memory and where else can you get 100% Share of Time?”
Harper sees Classic and digital as complementary, not competing: “Digital gives brands agility and relevance, while Classic can create those big, unmissable brand moments.
“The opportunity is knowing when to use each format, and when to bring them together.”
She also sees the strength of Classic in its ability to work across different environments.
“In Metro, Classic can build frequency and presence; in Regional markets it can become part of the journey and the fabric of a community. That sense of place and familiarity is a real strength of the medium.”
For Harper, the strongest Classic creative is often the simplest: “The best billboard ideas don’t ask people to work too hard. One strong visual, a distinctive brand asset or a brilliant line can be incredibly memorable when you give it the right canvas.
“Classic doesn’t compete for attention in a crowded scroll; it rises above it. And when used strategically, it creates the kind of moments audiences remember long after they’ve passed by.”
Sam Noble, National Product Director at JCDecaux Australia, says Classic’s enduring relevance comes down to trust, familiarity and a sense of place.
“Classic is a part of our landscape and everyday lives (and) there can be an element of nostalgia to some of the locations as well.”
That sense of place is a powerful part of Out of Home. The best billboard locations are not simply advertising sites: they are landmarks that become embedded in the daily journeys and memories of the people who pass them.
Noble fondly remembers one of Sydney’s most famous examples.
“Being old enough to remember the Coke sign in Kings Cross in full swing, it always takes me back to being out too late (or too early) in the early 2000s.”
That sense of permanence has renewed relevance as the battle for attention becomes increasingly intense. Audiences are navigating a media environment filled with messages competing for a fleeting glance. Against that backdrop, Classic offers something remarkably simple.
“The fight for attention in Outdoor is only getting stronger,” Noble says. “So, an iconic classic billboard is an incredibly effective way to truly own your piece of Australia, for more than just a moment.”
That physical presence is one of Out of Home’s greatest strengths: a non-fragmented medium people encounter rather than seek out. There is no login, no click-through no cookie consent.
“Like all Out of Home advertising, classic billboards aren’t invading your privacy asking for your details, they’re not asking you to click a link or accept a cookie,” Noble says.
“They have literal stature, so you get credibility and brand fame at the same time.”
Digital Out of Home has transformed what the medium can do, bringing flexibility, immediacy, dynamic creative and new opportunities for brands to respond to audiences and environments. However, that does not mean Classic has been diminished.
“There is no doubt that Digital has its place in our market, and some of the very best sites are now digital,” Noble says. “But I think Classic gives structure to an Out of Home campaign, it provides longevity and environment ownership.”
That does not make Classic an alternative to digital. Rather, it is part of a broader Out of Home ecosystem in which different formats can play different roles. Sometimes, Classic and Digital even combine on the same site to create something greater.
“Creative is a huge piece of the Out of Home formula for being seen and remembered,” Noble says. “For roadside Out of Home formats, you only have seconds to convey a message. That’s why familiar brands can get away with the most simplistic messages, if they deploy their distinctive brand assets.
“I love extensions too. Spreading out from the usual boundary is incredibly eye-catching. American Express’ latest campaign on the JCDecaux ICON was amazing but even without the digital component, the classic element looked really impactful!”
When it comes to regional billboards, oOh! is not alone in seeing the enduring value of Classic beyond the major cities. Across regional Australia, classic billboards continue to play an important role for local businesses as well as national brands.
“Some of our hero sites have become synonymous with the town they are in, with brands able to take advantage of that,” says Luke Course, Director at Gawk Outdoor.
“One of my favourite campaigns we have run was a long-term campaign on our static billboard on the Princes Freeway in Gippsland, with Welcome to Gippsland – The Home of Bloody Good Broadband.
“This was near their head office, on the freeway that feeds all traffic into Gippsland. The tagline helped reinforce that they were local to people who lived in the area.
“They were able to hit every single car entering Gippsland with that message for over three years.”
That kind of longevity in the real world can build a connection that matters when potential customers enter the market.
“Out of Home builds trust,” Course adds. “In an online world where anyone can buy a digital ad for their new business from their parents’ spare bedroom, we find Out of Home can build trust in a brand unlike any other medium.
“This trust is built from physically seeing the brand, which is irreplaceable.”
Most people will have spent time loaded into a car, heading off on a family trip. For many, a classic billboard can act as a milestone on a well-trodden journey.
“When you're in a family environment, it can cause a conversation,” says Alison Powell, Head of Agency at Bishopp.
“I think anything that can stop a family and to have a moment about it, that's where the creative plays a role and Classic is brilliant way to achieve that connection.
“When you're going on a road trip, for example leaving Brisbane and going to the Sunshine Coast, you're driving past supersite billboards, and these become landmarks for people.
“When people see a big billboard, like the one for Australia Zoo on the way north they get excited and Out of Home helps them share that moment.”
Like Powell, POA Chief Executive Officer Mitch James feels the permanence of Classic billboards will always make them vital to the media landscape.
“People use them as reference points, talk about them in conversation and remember campaigns years after they've come down,” he says.
“That's something unique to regional outdoor advertising. The best-performing brands understand they aren't simply buying advertising space. They're becoming part of the local landscape and part of the local conversation.
“The campaigns that resonate most are the ones that embrace local pride, celebrate regional achievements, support community events and speak directly to the people who live there.”
And perhaps that is the enduring strength of the Classic format. In a media landscape constantly chasing what is next, its power lies in doing something remarkably simple: being there.
Classic, indeed.