Out of the Feed and Into the World: Why IRL Media Is the Future of Advertising

Digital fatigue. Ad blockers. AI fakes. Shrinking attention spans. Consumer trust at historic lows. If you're a marketer in 2025, this is the battlefield you're navigating. But amidst the noise, one medium is emerging as the antidote to digital overload: real-world, out-of-home (OOH) advertising, and its future has never looked brighter.

Today’s most valuable audiences are harder to reach, harder to convince, and increasingly resistant to traditional digital strategies. Immersive in-person media, especially digital out-of-home (DOOH) formats, are earning trust, holding attention, and driving real-world action in ways digital simply can’t.

Here's why brands are stepping outside the feed and embracing the street, and how Miirage is helping them do it.

1. OOH is repairing trust

After years of being bombarded with hyper-targeted, invasive ads, consumers are pushing back. More than 70% of Americans say they trust brands less than they did just a year ago. Over half now use ad blockers, and nearly two-thirds believe brands should communicate their values directly through product experience, not tacked-on marketing fluff.

In this environment, OOH stands apart.

IRL OOH is the most trusted ad format, ranking higher than influencers, social media, online video, and podcasts
When advertising appears in curated, professional environments like OOH, brand trust increases by up to 32%
OOH avoids the privacy backlash plaguing digital ads, with no personal data collection or tracking

It’s no surprise that 63% of consumers say non-interruptive ads, like those in the physical world, actually improve their perception of the brand.

2. Attention Is the New Gold.

In today’s economy, attention is more limited than impressions or media inventory. Average digital attention spans have dropped to 2.23 seconds per ad. But campaigns using large-format DOOH command attention for up to 8.2 times longer than digital display and 5.5 times longer than social content.

Why does that matter?

Every additional second of attention boosts brand awareness by 11% and recall by 7%
Strong brand assets, like color, shape, and sound, reduce time to memory formation
Emotional and immersive creative, such as 3D anamorphic holograms, deliver 33 to 45% higher incremental profit

OOH isn’t just holding attention. It’s helping brands get remembered and acted upon.

3. From Awareness to Action.

OOH is no longer just about brand awareness. It drives real-world and online action across the entire customer journey:

48% of consumers search online after seeing an OOH ad
41% visit the brand’s website
31% visit a store
28% make a purchase
22% post about it on social media

Miirage displays, especially those with interactive or AR-enhanced content, amplify this effect by blending entertainment and utility. With dwell times averaging 75 seconds and engagement rates up to 30%, holographic DOOH becomes a magnet for both curiosity and conversion.

4. Value, Verified.

CPM as low as $2, far below social media at $13, digital video at $54, or broadcast TV at $24
No ad fraud, no skip buttons, and no brand safety issues
No overexposure or fatigue, unlike online, where ads often wear out their welcome

Adding OOH to a TV or digital campaign boosts ROI by 27%, outperforming radio, print, or in-store media. Campaigns using multiple OOH formats see up to 30% higher ROI when three or more placements are used together.

OOH is the ultimate amplifier of return on investment.

5. IRL Is Where the Culture Lives

As trust in digital platforms erodes, the cultural power of real-world experiences is growing. Gen Z, despite being digital natives, are leading this shift:

81% of Gen Z say they want to disconnect more often
79% prefer in-store shopping experiences
Over half of Gen Z buy products they discover in person
84% value brands that blend technology with physical presence

Even online-first discovery habits often end offline. One-third of Gen Zers who discover products on social media then visit a physical store, and more than half make a purchase.

This is where Miirage thrives. We bridge the digital and physical, making content come alive and connecting with consumers in ways digital-only strategies cannot match.

6. Authenticity, Not Algorithms

AI-generated content is creating skepticism. Consumers want to feel something real.

64% of Gen Z say AI-generated ads feel inauthentic
56% of all consumers find behavior-based personalized ads creepy
Only 12% of Americans think brands should stay neutral on social issues

OOH offers a space for brands to reflect their values authentically. Emotional campaigns using real-world media deliver:

19% lift in brand effects such as trust and awareness
38% lift in business outcomes like profit and market share
Greater long-term impact, especially when campaigns run over 6 to 12 months

Emotion drives memory. Real-life presence drives trust. Together, they drive business growth.

OOH Is Not Just Competing. It Is Evolving

Today’s out-of-home is not static. It is dynamic, digital, data-powered, and immersive. It blends AR, AI, holographic display, and context-aware content to create experiences that are relevant, emotional, and memorable.

Unmatched trust in an untrusted media world
Superior attention performance at a lower cost
Real-world results from brand building to conversion
A physical anchor for digital discovery
Creative freedom for emotional storytelling

Miirage is proud to be part of this transformation. Our displays don’t just show content,they captivate. They don’t just attract glances,they create memories. Miirage helps brands own attention in the most powerful place of all: real life.