Fashion and OOH are a match made in heaven. Premium large format screens allow the glitz and glamour of both luxury and high street clothing brands to take centre stage when the shining lights of London, Paris and New York fashion week aren’t available. 

With a natural spend peak in the category coming up in May, according to Nielson, we reveal how OOH can use its scale to make a fashion statement and boost sales across the category, with high quality imagery which is crucial in fashion campaigns. 
 

Get your wardrobe holiday ready  

We all know the score – as British summertime finally approaches, and the school holidays begin, we shed the heavy coats and get our wardrobes ready for summer sun to take over. Shoppers are typically looking to revamp their wardrobes to keep up with summer seasons’ micro-trends and prepare for hotter periods.  

In 2024, shoppers took to the stores in these summer months, and July saw increased footfall across all retail environments¹: 

• 6.9% rise in shopping centres 

• 4.4% rise in high streets  

• 3.3% rise in retail parks 

OOH plays a key part in the customer journey. 40% of shoppers see OOH in the 30 minutes before a sale, compared with radio at only 8%, for example.² This means it’s the last chance for brands to influence shoppers to spend on their brand, so this high footfall is key. Harnessing this last window of influence – the 30 minutes before a purchase is made, has the potential to be highly effective and influence sales in real time, with 69% of people saying they’re more likely to try and find out more about a brand having seen their OOH content in that 30-minute period.³  

Being on DOOH in key retail locations puts you front and centre when audiences are looking to spend and connect with brands. 
 

But what’s tailoring people’s clothing spending choices? 

One fact hasn’t changed – shoppers want the most for their money.  

Value for money, fit and quality remain the top three biggest purchase drivers, with 18-34s more likely to purchase a product based on high quality.⁴ If these qualities are all apparent, 85% of shoppers will take a product-related action within 24 hours of discovering a product that meets their needs.⁵ With OOH being seen in the last window of influence, it can bring attention to this product, it’s quality and its value for money, whilst the customer only needs to try the fit.  
 

OOH is becoming green and stepping toward sustainability 

The fashion industry is infamous for its heavy toll on the environmental, with fast fashion being a consideration for many shoppers, including Gen Z – 55% of them see sustainability and ethical manufacturing as a key factor in our spending.⁶ We’re starting to buy fewer items and opting for second-hand fashion, with Depop and Vinted becoming mainstream.  

More and more modern brands are transforming their brand profile and putting sustainability and eco-ethical claims at the heart of their brand profile. By tapping into this aspect of customer interest, they’re appealing to their eco-conscious audience segment.  

So where does DOOH come in? 

DOOH can be used to accelerate a brands sustainable reputation. At 3.5% of carbon emissions per impression,⁷ it generates the lowest amount of all media channels analysed, and only 0.067% of all power consumption in the UK is accounted for by OOH advertising.⁸ Advertising on DOOH allow brands to give a positive perception as being eco-conscious over other media channels, whilst targeting the largest audiences possible. 

How can immersive branding style sales?  

Retailers can entice customers back into stores with experiential branding – blending OOH and experiential can transform a brand’s impact. Focusing media budgets on brand experiences could significantly boost fashion sales, by creating a memorable campaign with increased shareability and more dynamic content, making it more specific to the individual buyer.  

But how does experiential boost fashion sales?  

• Increased dwell times – allowing for higher engagement with brands 

• Use of 3D animations – a prime example of blending with experiential and the effectiveness of merging capabilities 

• Creating immersive touchpoints – going beyond broadcasting messages with traditional campaigns 

• Increased shareability and memorability – bringing campaigns to a wider audience on social media 
  
  

So why OOH? 

DOOH provides the iconic, large format, that clothing brands need to showcase the quality of their product. And these brands are leveraging DOOH advertising and selecting iconic locations such as Piccadilly Lights in London – the type of sites that reflect their premium reputation.  

By choosing large format as well as incorporating screens targeting pedestrianised areas, fashion brands are making sure they’re seen at every stage of the customer journey – particularly the last window of influence, the 30 minutes prior to purchase where sales can be influenced in real time. It’s in this period that brands can convert potential sales into customers, proving that they share the customers main priorities – value for money, fit, quality and ethical manufacturing.  

Adding interactivity to campaigns and focusing media budget on brand experience with DOOH is the final way to merge its capabilities to boost sales. With proven increased dwell times, use of 3D animations on large format to create immersive touchpoints, which then increase shareability and memorability – DOOH and clothing brands are a perfect pair.  

[1] MRI Software, 2024

[2] Outsmart, 2011

[3] Outsmart, 2011

[4] YouGov Consumer Panel, 2024

[5] Shifting Fashion Demand, 2023

[6] Mintel, UK Fashion Sustainability Market Report, 2024

[7] Outsmart + KPMG, 2024

[8] Sustainability in Out of Home Report, 2024