Facebook Ads & Chicago Billboards

It may seem ambitious to pair Facebook and billboard advertising in Chicago, two widely different mediums. However, working in unison, out-of-home (OOH) advertising and Facebook Ads lead to increased brand awareness and will strongly influence purchasing decisions. Below are some reasons to begin thinking about how to combine Facebook and OOH to maximize your advertising campaign objectives.


Chicago is a city ripe for OOH campaigns. This medium provides ample opportunities for pedestrian audiences who can stop for a moment and interact meaningfully with your OOH creative. Our use of stunning designs and high-traffic locations are effective, but we are always thinking ahead: How can we use a mixed-media approach to reach audiences at all stages of the sales funnel?

We’ve mentioned in past blog posts that OOH is an incredibly effective advertising medium. It’s the most cost-efficient medium for advertising, consistently reaches around 96% of Americans (higher than any other medium), and reaches audiences when they are out of the home and are most likely to make purchasing decisions. 

But the benefits don’t stop there. Jamila Huq, our National Account Executive, explains another perk of OOH in the video below:


And she’s right—a number of advertisers leave OOH behind because they think it’s an outdated marketing medium. However, OOH can easily be tied to an existing digital campaign and is a great driver for online traffic.

Facebook Ads are quite effective when it comes to conversion. On a smartphone, the audience is a simple click away from interacting with your brand. This can be through something passive (learning more about your brand or product) to something more active (subscribing or making a purchase). But online advertising lacks the reputation boosting effects of OOH. So what can be done here, how can we utilize both?

Believe it or not, OOH and Facebook Ads are already tied together. In a Nielsen survey, 38% of adults in the US say they have visited a Facebook page or posted on Facebook after seeing an OOH ad, and 25% have posted to Instagram. A study conducted by Kantar Group for Les 2 Vaches, a French organic yogurt, found that a combination of Facebook and OOH was 13% more efficient than expected, and 47% more efficient than using only Facebook. 

As expected, Facebook and OOH complement each other. They target audiences at different stages of their day, in different ways, and so using both is a great way to ensure you are reaching that audience. 

Younger Audiences

Pairing OOH and Facebook can be a great way to attract younger audiences.

Millennials and Gen Zers report that they are almost twice as likely to learn about a brand or product through Facebook Ads or OOH than through print or TV. In other words, it is much more efficient to reach these younger audiences through these channels.

Furthermore, the combination of Facebook Ads and OOH also leads to more buying. Millennials and Gen Zers are significantly more likely to say Facebook and OOH help them make purchasing decisions. Younger audiences tend to rely on Facebook and OOH to help them decide what food or drinks to buy, for instance. 

This is the Netflix generation. Forget about cable TV and forget about magazine ads. If you’re looking to reach Millennials and Gen Zers, a combination of Facebook Ads and OOH is the way to go.

An image of two women categorized as millennials and gen zers walking in Chicago influenced by the combination of Facebook ads and OOH to shop at Target

What Are Your Goals?

As with all marketing campaigns, we need to start by determining the goals of your advertising campaign. This will ensure the combination of Facebook and OOH works to your advantage.
When pairing OOH and Facebook, consider the following:

  • Broader audience
    People are exposed to a broad range of mediums each day. Using a combination of OOH and Facebook will help you reach more potential buyers.

  • Learn more about your audience
    Although OOH has data-collection capabilities, pairing these with Facebook’s Audience Insights can give you enormous amounts of information about your audience, which you can then use to craft more effective campaigns. 

  • Be creative!
    Try new things and see what works. Your audience might respond differently to new platforms, such as Instagram stories paired with your OOH. 


Ready to integrate OOH into your digital campaign? Let us help!