The Impact of Woke Culture on Outdoor Advertising

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Brands have always been able to engage with the public through outdoor advertising. These campaigns range from bold billboards to eye catching transit ads. Yet in more recent times, woke culture— people with heightened awareness of social issues and activism—has entirely transformed this advertising landscape. That cultural shift has forced advertisers to become more thoughtful about the messages they put out there because their campaigns will be picked apart by a more socially aware public.

This change has given a voice to marginalized people and helped launch necessary conversations, but it’s also put businesses in a bind. Outdoor advertising is no longer primarily about selling; it’s about values alignment and mirroring the change in society. This creative evolution has come with controversy, and companies must now weigh what they say, as well as how it might be heard.

Amplifying Inclusivity

Amid woke culture, brands have been spotlighting diversity and inclusivity in outdoor advertising. Today’s ads represent a much broader range of racial, gender and cultural identities, and a greater diversity of experiences. It’s not just a question of being politically correct, we’re also connecting with audiences who want to see themselves represented in the brands they spend their money on.

Risk of Backlash

The risk of backlash when brands miss the mark is a double edged sword of woke culture. A simple billboard can turn into a viral controversy if your campaign execution is poorly done. According to Edelman, 64 per cent of global consumers will boycott brands that don’t respect their values. As a consequence, outdoor advertising is a high stakes game where one incident can lead to considerable reputational harm.

Social Commentary Pressure

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Now the pressure is on brands to take a stand on social issues. Regardless if it’s climate change or racial justice, consumers are demanding that brands have an opinion and share that opinion in their marketing. Outdoor ads have become a place for social commentary as this expectation has been established. This can make for powerful and thought provoking campaigns, but it can also alienate sections of an audience that don’t align with a brand’s stance.

Evolving Aesthetics

Cultural zeitgeist has even changed the aesthetics of outdoor advertising. The days of aspirational imagery only are gone as campaigns can often be more raw, more genuine and speak to values of the day. It’s about handwritten fonts, imperfect layouts, street art inspired designs. The intention is to express the humanity behind a brand, but it can come off as too calculated, if not done carefully.

Spotlight on Sustainability

The influence of woke culture is seen in how we have started to emphasize environmental consciousness in outdoor ads. Brands are going green, moving to biodegradable billboard materials as well as solar powered displays to match these expectations. According to a 2023 Nielsen report, more people take sustainability into account when they interact with brands.

Changing Humor Styles

In outdoor advertising, even humor hasn’t been immune to woke culture. Most of the time, traditional punchlines that used stereotypes or edgy jokes are a thing of the past. Today, brands choose humor that’s less likely to ruffle feathers, more clever, more inclusive. While this broadens the audience, it can make it hard to stand out from the crowd and sometimes feels too sanitized!.

Increased Scrutiny

Today, the internet and social media mean every outdoor ad is now under a microscope. Campaigns in small towns can go national—or global—when they start trending online. With this greater visibility, advertisers have to look past their original audience and now have to understand the potential meanings of their message in countless other contexts.

Opportunities for Connection

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Woke culture offers its own opportunities for connection. Ads that are thoughtfully crafted with an effort to address real life societal issues can go viral for the right reasons and can increase both brand awareness and loyalty. Imagine creating a mural with a message of support for mental health, that is so heartfelt that it impacts the passersby, who then keep it with them far after the ad ends.

Inspiration From Gen Z

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Gen Z is really taking part in shaping woke culture. How brands use outdoor campaigns is influenced by the demand for authenticity and the vocal activism of their customers. In turn, this audience has become so powerful that now advertising often takes inspiration from grassroots movements, street art, and DIY aesthetics. Though it promotes creativity, it also calls for an in depth understanding of cultural differences.

Balancing Act

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In fact, at the end of the day, woke culture forces advertisers to walk a fine line between being socially responsible and being profitable. It’s a high-wire act where there’s no room for fakery. Brands that align with values in a genuine way tend to have long term success, but if it’s faked, then they get caught pretty quickly. In this sense, this captures the central dilemma facing outdoor advertising in a more socially aware world.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.