From Billboard to Bag: The Next Big Thing in OOH Advertising

Digital advertising has never been louder — or more competitive. CPMs are rising, ad blockers keep spreading, and even “personalized” ads are often ignored or region locked due to consumer data protection laws. The opportunity: reach consumers offline, when they’re relaxed, focused, and receptive — like during mealtime.

The Attention Crisis

Ad fatigue is real. The average person sees over 100+ ads per day and is growing, and engagement rates across major digital platforms continue to decline year over year.
Digital clutter is rising. Paid media costs (CPMs) have increased by more than 30% since 2020, while click-through rates have stagnated, meaning marketers are paying more for less attention.
Signal loss is accelerating. With third-party cookies disappearing and privacy regulations expanding (GDPR, CCPA, and Apple’s ATT), marketers have less visibility into who they’re reaching and how effectively.

In an age saturated with digital distractions, marketers are facing an unprecedented "attention crisis." This constant bombardment of information, from social media feeds to endless notifications, has created a landscape where truly capturing and holding an audience's focus is a rare and valuable commodity.

We built a decade of marketing strategy on the assumption that more data meant more control. Now that foundation is facing real challenges. Third-party cookies are disappearing, privacy laws are tightening, and consumer data that once powered hyper-targeted campaigns is now harder to access, more expensive, and less reliable. Targeting is blurrier, attribution is harder, and performance metrics don’t tell the full story.

At the same time, consumers are more aware of how their data is used. They scroll past ads that feel invasive or repetitive, and trust in digital advertising is at an all-time low.

It’s no wonder many brands are rediscovering something older and simpler: real-world presence.

Finding new moments of connection

One of the most interesting frontiers in OOH right now isn’t a billboard or a screen—it’s the everyday objects people already interact with. Marketers are asking: what if we could reach someone in a more personal, tactile moment?

Think about the last time you ordered takeout. You probably spent a few quiet minutes with that bag right in front of you. You held it. You looked at it. You were focused, even excited about what was inside. It’s a rare moment of stillness in an otherwise distracted day.

That small window of direct attention is exactly what advertisers are chasing.

Large franchises understand the value of this real estate and have been using it for years to run promotions or brand collaborations on their own packaging. Until recently setting up this type of large campaign was difficult / impossible for smaller businesses for a number of reasons.

The next wave of OOH

A new category of “in-hand media” is emerging from this idea. Brands are beginning to treat packaging and delivery moments as high-value real estate for storytelling. It’s like combining the reach of outdoor advertising with the intimacy of direct mail—physical, visible, and naturally tied to a daily ritual.

At OnBox, we’re part of this shift. We partner with restaurants to turn takeout bags into premium ad space, giving brands a way to show up in moments that are positive, habitual, and grounded in real life. Instead of trying to steal attention from screens, we help marketers meet people where they already are

OOH spending is growing steadily — +4–5% annually. Why? Because brands are rediscovering the power of physical presence in an over-screened world. OnBox fits right into this resurgence: it’s tangible, local, brand-safe, and highly visible — with the added benefit of guaranteed hand-to-hand delivery.

Phygital Experiences: Physical / digital experiences bridges online and offline worlds — perfect for QR codes or promotions
Community & Local Marketing: Partners with local restaurants — high trust, local relevance.
Measurement: QR scans, coupon redemptions, and digital tie-ins make it measurable.

How OnBox stacks up

Compared to traditional billboards, OnBox offers a more intimate and measurable experience. Each impression is delivered directly into a consumer’s hand, often in the comfort of their home, where attention is highest and they are not rushing to be somewhere else. Unlike most digital ads, it isn’t skipped, blocked, or competing with hundreds of other messages. And unlike direct mail, it lands in people’s hands naturally, not in a pile they’re trying to throw away. It’s physical, local, brand-safe, and trackable— at a fraction of the cost of large-scale outdoor or low converting digital campaigns.

OnBox turns that moment into a tactile media channel that’s:

✅ Unskippable

✅ Brand-safe

✅ Local and targeted

✅ Emotionally charged

It’s a reminder that marketing doesn’t always need to shout louder. Sometimes it just needs to show up in the right hands at the right time.

The Offline Edge

The smartest marketers today aren’t abandoning digital; they’re balancing it. They’re blending online precision with offline impact, using physical touchpoints to make their message stick.

If your brand wants to be seen, felt, and remembered - not just scrolled past - it’s time to think outside the bag.

Want to see how we can get your brand into the hands of real customers? Connect with us for a demo.