Get to Know the Different Types of Street Furniture Advertising

If you’re looking to get your brand or business more exposure, you’ve probably noticed that advertising options are just about endless. Of course, there’s online and TV and in-app advertising, but if you really want to spread the word, you’ll put it outside of the home. Out of home (OOH) advertising can be anywhere from shopping malls to cinemas to airports to billboards; the typical places that might come to mind when you think of the ads you see in your everyday life. But the options expand even further than that, and if you want to reach customers in a new way, it’s time to consider street furniture advertising

Street furniture advertising is unique not only because of how you can target a market by location, but also in the variety of street furniture that’s available for ad space. When you think of street furniture, more traditional furniture structures like benches often come to mind first, but there are actually far more options than that. Here, we’ll go over a few of those options so you can expand your advertising horizons and get your brand or business the exposure it needs. 

Kiosks

One of the advantages of many street furniture advertising opportunities is that they’re situated at eye level for most passersby, and kiosks are no exception. Kiosks are backlit, standalone advertising displays that can be found throughout cities, malls, or other public spaces, but one thing is guaranteed: they’re strategically placed in spots with a lot of foot traffic. One of the most common examples of a kiosk is in a shopping mall, where they often display a mall directory or map to find your way around. But on the other side of those maps, or on both sides if there is no map, is typically an advertisement. Kiosks are an excellent street furniture advertising opportunity because of their placement in central hubs, affording them exposure to thousands of people a day. But despite their central locations and high exposure, they’re significantly cheaper than purchasing a billboard in a busy area. They might display a static image or message, an animation, a video, or an interactive ad, and because they’re backlit, they’re always visible. 

Benches

A more typical image that might come to mind when you think of street furniture may be a public bench, found in parks or even just on any street with high pedestrian traffic. But benches are more than just a place to sit; they’re also a place to advertise, and whether you’re sitting on one or passing by them, they’re hard not to take note of. Bench ads are extremely affordable due to their simplicity, as they’re almost never digital ads. However, this doesn’t take much away in terms of effectiveness, as benches are often found in places where people have a lot of dwell time. This means potential customers will spend more time with your bench advertisement, because they could be waiting for a bus, waiting for a friend, or simply enjoying themselves as they sit on a public bench. Dwell time is exposure, and exposure is what advertisers are looking for. 

Bus Shelters

Bus shelters are an extremely popular form of street furniture advertising that once again capitalizes on dwell time. Most people who are at a bus shelter are there because they’re waiting, whether it be for the next bus or for someone arriving on it, and people who are waiting are often looking for content of some kind to consume. Enter: bus shelter advertising. A bus shelter ad will be exposed to not only those who are there waiting, but also to both foot and car traffic that passes by all day long. Targeting bus shelter advertisements to certain demographics can be a challenge, but brands can still strategically place their ads at specific bus shelters, such as ones near malls or sporting arenas, to target shoppers or sports fans. Depending on the bus shelter, these street furniture ads may even be digital, though many are not. It all depends on the price you’re willing to pay and the location you select.

Bus Shelters

Bike Shares

A unique street furniture advertising opportunity, bike share advertising allows you to partner with the bike share brand to place an ad at a hub for public bike shares. If you’re looking to target eco-conscious consumers, this is the way to go. These advertisements may be digital or static, but they have the advantage of attracting not only passersby, as bike shares are often located in convenient areas so they’re available to as many people as possible, but also those who are there to use the bikes. This form of advertising also allows you to create a connection between your brand or business and this eco-friendly form of commuting, which could even result in a connotation between your brand and environmentally conscious values. Either way, bike shares are another great example of eye-level street furniture advertising, strategically placed to optimize exposure.

Bike Shares

More Street Furniture Advertising

Listed above are just a few of the most popular examples of street furniture advertising, but the options don’t end there. Urban panels, for example, typically sit above subway entrances and will catch the eye of thousands of commuters a day. Newsrack advertisements are another form of eye-level street furniture advertising, though newsracks are becoming slightly less common. There are also ATM kiosk advertisements, which conveniently place your ad in a space that will draw individuals to it all day long. Regardless of which route you take, street furniture advertising is a great way to engage with a community, giving you numerous options for location, type, and ad targeting.

More Street Furniture Advertising