Influencer marketing meets OOH

Influencer marketing has become one of the most effective ways to reach younger audiences authentically. Creators maintain strong communities that trust their recommendations and actively engage with their content. Out-of-Home advertising, on the other hand, ensures broad visibility in public spaces and gives brands a physical presence in people’s daily lives.

Current research shows how well this combination works. A Harris Poll study from 2024 found that 47 percent of adults notice influencer-related content on OOH placements. Sixty-seven percent say they are likely to react to such ads, often by looking up the brand online or visiting the website. In addition, 64 percent state that influencer endorsements improve their perception of a brand.

Another study revealed that social media advertising performs substantially better when users have been exposed to OOH beforehand. Attention increases by 52 percent and spontaneous brand recall rises by 133 percent. When influencers then amplify the OOH activation on their own channels, the brand effect becomes even stronger thanks to authentic recommendations and visible social engagement.

Social media amplification powered by influencers and OOH

When OOH content is shared as posts, stories or videos on social platforms, this process is referred to as social media amplification. The added value becomes clear through earned media, which represents all exposure generated through organic shares, comments and likes.

Influencers play a crucial role in unlocking this effect. According to the above mentioned Harris Poll study, 46 percent of respondents are more willing to try a product when an influencer promotes it on an OOH placement. Forty-nine percent associate influencer-backed brands with high quality, while 48 percent link them to trustworthiness.

This effect is particularly strong among Gen Z. As a generation shaped by social platforms, they value authenticity and pay close attention to creator voices. A campaign that is visible both on the street and in their feed gains additional credibility and relevance.

There is also a halo effect at play. Memorable moments involving well-known personalities tend to enhance the overall perception of a brand. When an influencer is physically present at an activation and later shares the experience online, this positive impression carries over to the entire brand, extending far beyond the original campaign.

Example: Air Up campaign featuring Stefanie Giesinger

A clear illustration of this dynamic is the Air Up activation with Stefanie Giesinger. As one of Germany’s most prominent influencers with millions of followers, she embodied the brand’s healthy and sustainable lifestyle message and brought her large community into direct contact with the product. The physical activation was only one part of the impact. When Stefanie Giesinger shared the campaign on her social channels, the reach increased dramatically. This showcased the mechanism of social media amplification: a high-visibility OOH moment turned into a significant earned-media effect once it was taken into the social web.

Example: Podimo podcast launch with Dagi Bee

The Podimo launch campaign for the podcast “Kaffee mit Zitrone” with Dagi Bee followed a similar pattern. For the activation, Echo Poster promoters toured Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin with a branded coffee Ape, bringing the podcast into direct contact with passersby. Stickers, floor graphics and merchandise created additional visibility on site. When Dagi Bee appeared at the event and shared the activation on her own channels, the campaign’s reach multiplied. The success was driven by the complementary mix of on-street presence and influencer distribution.

Conclusion: Influencer marketing and OOH

When influencer marketing and Out-of-Home advertising are combined, the result is a communication strategy that works across physical and digital spaces. OOH establishes real-world presence and credibility, while influencers translate these moments into social content that generates additional earned media. This is social media amplification at its best: a campaign that begins on a billboard or at an activation and gains extended reach once influencers bring the message into their communities.