Not long ago, out-of-home advertising meant a billboard on the highway or a massive screen in Times Square. Such displays still exist, but the definition of “out-of-home” is expanding quickly. Today, digital out-of-home (DOOH) networks are showing up in places that once seemed unlikely—inside quick-service restaurants, on the glass of storefront windows, even on the electric vehicle chargers parked along city streets.
This shift is more than cosmetic. As technology costs fall and programmatic buying becomes mainstream, DOOH is evolving into a medium that is flexible, data-driven, and measurable. Retailers see it as a new revenue stream. Advertisers see it as a way to reach consumers closer to the point of decision. And consumers, accustomed to dynamic digital experiences online, are encountering a more interactive real-world environment.
That’s why DOOH is suddenly one of the fastest-growing corners of advertising. And while the transformation is broad, a few companies illustrate just how far it’s going—from enterprise rollouts in retail, to storefront creativity, to entirely new contexts like EV charging.
What once required weeks to update on posters can now change in seconds. Prices, promotions, and seasonal campaigns can roll out across entire chains with just a few clicks. For retailers, signage shifts from being a cost to becoming a revenue stream. For advertisers, it’s a chance to connect with shoppers at the moment they’re ready to buy.
Creative Realities is at the forefront of this transformation. Last year, they partnered to install stretched digital displays on freezer and cooler units in convenience stores, turning everyday fixtures into dynamic ad networks. Managed through their software, the screens can be updated instantly and sold as ad inventory—creating new income for retailers while giving brands a powerful way to reach consumers in the aisle.
The rise of retail media, combined with dynamic in-store displays like these, shows how DOOH is transforming signage from a static expense into a powerful source of revenue and real-time engagement.
Scale may drive adoption, but creativity makes DOOH memorable. Projection mapping, interactive signage, and augmented reality are turning physical spaces into canvases for storytelling.
Glass-Media, a provider of purpose-built, highly configurable digital signage solutions, shows how creativity can reshape the storefront experience. Instead of installing heavy LED screens, the company uses lightweight, highly configurable digital signage solutions to enhance creative flexibility, sustainability and compliance regulations. A Levi’s activation projected visuals onto the brand’s batwing logo during a Stranger Things collaboration, turning the store itself into a piece of digital art.
For retailers, the model lowers barriers to experimentation. Glass-Media offers “digital signage as a service,” allowing stores to utilize the display technologies with flexible, affordable monthly payments or short-term campaigns. The approach has been used by brands ranging from Estée Lauder to AT&T. At Boston’s South Station, a Lovepop installation became a “beacon of light” for commuters, pulling them into the shop and earning attention far beyond traditional signage.
These activations demonstrate that DOOH is no longer just about impressions—it’s about creating memorable moments that drive engagement and foot traffic.
JOLT, an EV charging company, has pioneered a model where advertising subsidizes a daily free charge for drivers. Its fast-charging stations are outfitted with large digital screens, giving advertisers access to an eco-conscious, tech-savvy audience with long dwell times. Unlike a billboard glimpsed in passing, charging sessions last long enough for meaningful engagement.
The company recently secured a major partnership to roll out up to 1,500 curbside chargers across Canadian cities, each with dual ad screens—adding 3,000 new DOOH faces to urban environments. Campaigns are already proving the concept. Automaker Vauxhall partnered with JOLT in London, branding more than 40 charging stations while promoting its new electric SUV. Surveys showed not only higher ad recall, but also a significant lift in brand trust and purchase consideration.
By embedding digital screens into infrastructure, JOLT demonstrates how DOOH can be useful, contextual, and commercially viable all at once.
Several factors explain why DOOH is growing so quickly:
The result is a medium that’s agile, measurable, and aligned with both brand and consumer priorities.
For marketers and entrepreneurs, DOOH’s evolution offers clear takeaways:
The transformation of DOOH isn’t about any single company. It’s about a medium finding new life by embedding itself into the physical world in ways that feel natural, useful, and surprising.
Still, companies like Creative Realities, Glass-Media, and JOLT illustrate what’s possible. One is scaling networks across retail and restaurants. Another is turning storefronts into digital canvases. And a third is proving that even EV infrastructure can double as ad space.
The next time you order at a drive-thru, stroll past a boutique window, or plug in your car, you might find yourself engaging with DOOH in a new way. In 2025, the most surprising places in your daily routine are becoming the most valuable ad spaces—and the reinvention of out-of-home has only just begun.