Weather content for outdoor media? Why even bother?

August 21, 2009 by Dave Haynes

This is from Daily DOOH, from a quick post about a Hong Kong company using LCDs on taxicab tops. The content is nicely executed, with the characters crisp and large and the icon simple and easily understood. But I have a question: “Why?”

As soon as someone walks outside in Hong Kong to grab a cab they can tell it is stinking hot and it is either raining or threatening to do so. You stick out your hand, or look up. I definitely wonder if this content makes sense in its context, but I also wonder if any content makes sense.

If I am selling ads on the tops of cabs I am not thinking for a millisecond that I have an audience watching my screens to get informed. At best, motorists and people on the sidewalks are glancing at these things and they are never going to see these things as valuable communications mediums.  I’m running ads. Period. Content just means less ad time.