Are Billboards and Posters Still Worth It for Bristol Businesses?

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising has long been one of the most trusted ways for businesses to reach large audiences. From roadside posters in the 1950s to the towering billboards that dominate cityscapes, OOH was once considered unmissable.

In the UK, this legacy is still reflected in the numbers. In 2024, OOH advertising revenue reached £1.4 billion, up from £1.3bn the year before. However, the landscape is changing, around 66% of that revenue now comes from digital OOH (DOOH), highlighting the gradual shift away from traditional static billboards and posters.

According to One Day Agency, 98% of the UK population sees an OOH ad every week. The reach is undeniable. But as advertising saturation grows, the real question is: are billboards still working?

The Challenge of Ad Fatigue

With AI-powered tools creating endless streams of personalised ads, consumers are experiencing ad fatigue. People scroll past sponsored posts, ignore pop-ups, and walk past physical ads without noticing them. For brands, this creates a critical issue: visibility no longer guarantees engagement. If billboards are still being seen, are they being remembered, and more importantly, are they driving action?

What We Found in Bristol: Local Survey Insights

To dig deeper, we took this question to the streets of Bristol. Our team spoke directly with over 100 residents in face-to-face conversations and gathered survey results that reveal how locals really perceive billboards and posters today. Here’s what we found:

Noticeability: Average, Not Exceptional

• Average noticeability ranking: 3.2 out of 5

• Most respondents rated billboards as “middle of the road” - neither impressive nor invisible.

This shows that while billboards are still being noticed, they don’t command the attention they once did.

Purchase Influence: Weakening Power

• 29% of respondents said a billboard or poster had influenced a visit or purchase.

• This contrasts with earlier industry research that reported 46% had searched for a brand after seeing an OOH ad.

The drop suggests a decline in how effectively traditional billboards drive real world action in Bristol.

Memorability: A Serious Problem

• 30+ individuals in our survey could not recall the last billboard or poster they had seen.

• Others gave vague answers: “a car advert but not sure which,” “a food brand somewhere in the centre,” "a tv show but can't remember which"

This lack of recall shows a major weakness, if people can’t remember the message, the campaign has little long term value.

Aesthetic Impact: Divided Opinions

• 35% said billboards and posters improved Bristol’s appearance.

• 45% disagreed, calling them clutter or “visual noise.”

• 17% were unsure.

Compared to murals, which over 90% of locals agreed enhance Bristol’s aesthetics, traditional billboards fell far behind.

The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Businesses

Our findings suggest that while billboards still offer reach, their effectiveness is declining in three crucial areas:

• Driving action: Fewer people are making purchases or visits.

• Memorability: Many locals simply can’t recall what they saw.

• Community perception: Billboards often detract from, rather than enhance, the city’s look.

For Bristol businesses, this highlights a risk: spending heavily on billboard campaigns that reach many eyes but fail to create lasting impact.

Emerging Alternatives: The Rise of Mural Marketing

Globally and locally, brands like Gucci, Skittles, Skechers, John Lewis, Burberry, H&M, and many more are turning to mural marketing. Murals combine artistry with advertising, embedding a brand into the fabric of a city rather than being dismissed as clutter.

At Art Sync, we’ve seen first-hand how murals in Bristol outperform billboards in noticeability, memorability, and aesthetics and crucially, how they convert attention into real action.

Conclusion: Are Billboards Still Effective in Bristol?

Billboards and posters still play a role in UK advertising, with billions invested and millions of impressions each week. But in Bristol, our research shows their impact is fading: they’re moderately noticeable, weak at driving action, and largely forgettable. For businesses looking to stand out in a saturated advertising landscape, it may be time to look beyond billboards. Creative, community-driven formats like murals are proving to be not just more visible, but more loved and remembered.

See our the full research breakdown Here.