4 Reasons Why FOOH Advertising is Essential for Brands in 2025
FOOH Advertising is reshaping marketing in 2025. Find out what you need to look out for to make your campaigns stand out.
Fake Out of Home advertising, also known as FOOH advertising, has reshaped the advertising industry in recent years, setting the stage for what promises to be an even more innovative future in 2025. This modern approach is one of the most successful marketing trends in elevating traditional advertising to the next level through hyperrealistic short-form content on social media.
In a world where online users are constantly scrolling through ads and hitting that point of “ad fatigue,” FOOH feels like a reset. It grabs attention and actually makes people stop and engage. But what exactly are Fake Out of Home ads?
How do Fake Out of Home ads work?
Fake Out of Home (FOOH) advertising refers to 10 to 15 second videos that merge real-world video footage of iconic landmarks or popular cityscapes with hyperrealistic CGI animation elements. These videos are designed for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Meta, and other social media spaces where short-form content thrives. These ads replicate the feel of grand billboards or massive public displays but live entirely online, making them much more flexible and cost effective.
If you want to know everything about FOOH advertising, here’s a guide to Fake Out of Home Ads.
In 2025, FOOH ads are reshaping how brands connect with people. Consider the numbers: 91% of people think ads have become overly intrusive, 87% believe there are more ads now than ever, and the average person encounters 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily. It’s no surprise that 83% actively filter out repetitive and annoying ads. The modern consumer isn’t just overwhelmed – they’re tuning out.[1]
That’s where Fake Out of Home enters the picture. With advancements in augmented reality (AR) and AI making FOOH Advertising look incredibly realistic, these campaigns are especially effective at catching attention. Instead of being dismissed as just another ad, they surprise, entertain, and encourage viewers to engage and share. For brands, these campaigns represent a fresh and impactful way to break through the noise, stay relevant, and build meaningful connections with your audience.
4 Key Drivers of Fake Out of Home Advertising in 2025
Fake Out of Home advertising is revolutionizing how brands approach digital marketing. As we move into 2025, four key drivers are solidifying FOOH as an essential strategy for brands and agencies looking to create impactful, memorable ad campaigns.
1. Virtual Integration with Reality
As augmented and virtual reality technologies continue to evolve, investing in AR (Augmented Reality) capabilities will soon become an essential in advertisement 2025. Take AR examples like Snapchat’s AR glasses and Meta’s advancements in mixed-reality headsets. These tools demonstrate the growing accessibility and appeal of AR-driven experiences. And it won’t stop there.
FOOH campaigns, though not interactive like AR, share a similar goal: creating engaging, unforgettable experiences. Brands that explore AR today can gain insights into how to push the boundaries of storytelling and illusion in their FOOH campaigns tomorrow.
The challenge with AR has always been figuring out how to show off those experiences in an out-of-home setting, but FOOH solves that. Through hyperrealistic videos designed for platforms like TikTok or Instagram, marketers can make AR experiences feel more accessible and exciting to a wider audience. Plus, this combo isn’t just a passing trend. With the global AR market expected to reach $8 billion by 2029, it’s clear that AR and FOOH will only keep amplifying each other.
For marketers, this means endless creative possibilities to stand out.
Want to read more about it? Check out our newest blog on How AR is redefining FOOH in 2025.
2. Increased Cost-efficiency and Flexibility
A main driver for Fake Out of Home (FOOH) advertising in 2025 is its ability to deliver high-impact campaigns without the hefty price tag of traditional ads. Fake Out of Home eliminates costs like renting physical billboard spaces or tailoring ads for various regions and languages. Instead, a single, well-crafted 10- to 15-second video can be distributed globally on social media, leveraging organic virality to reach massive audiences.
Unlike traditional advertising, where you have to compete for premium locations and prime times, FOOH isn’t tied to specific places or schedules. This flexibility allows marketers to roll out campaigns at the perfect moment and fine-tune their targeting strategies. It’s all about getting the right message to the right audience, without the logistical headaches of physical ad placements.
3. High Potential for Organic Virality
FOOH advertising is practically built for social media. These short yet impactful campaigns are designed to grab attention in a world where users scroll through endless content. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube give FOOH ads the perfect stage to reach millions of people, and when users engage with these ads, it creates a ripple effect.
The more people interact, the more likely platforms are to push them to even bigger audiences. This means brands can leverage social media algorithms to extend their reach organically without constantly pouring money into ad spend. And for a world where attention spans are shrinking and ad fatigue is real, FOOH ads bring something fresh to the table. This kind of organic momentum not only amplifies a brand’s visibility but also builds stronger connections with audiences who see the content as entertaining rather than intrusive.
4. Smarter and Data-driven Targeting
With fake out-of-home advertising, targeting the right audience has never been easier. With platforms like Instagram, Meta, and TikTok already offering built-in analytic tools, brands can create hyper-targeted campaigns tailored to specific interests, demographics, and behaviors.
For any brand or agency looking to maximize their reach and precision, FOOH offers a level of adaptability that’s hard to beat. This personalized approach doesn’t just boost engagement, it ensures that ads resonate with the people who matter most to your brand. In 2025, leveraging data to target smarter is a game-changer and can help you cut through the noise and make your campaigns truly impactful.
3 Examples of Successful Fake Out of Home Campaigns
A good Fake Out of Home (FOOH) ad doesn’t just blend in, it’s clever, creative, and uses hyperrealistic elements that seem to pop out of the screen, creating an experience that feels almost too real to be true. Here are three examples that nailed the FOOH formula and got people talking.
1. Mercedes “MANUFAKTUR” Garage in Tokyo
This ad from Mercedes is a prime example of how FOOH ads can take off and go viral. In this snappy ad, Mercedes showcases a cool, futuristic building in Tokyo that looks like a vertical parking garage. As seconds go by, a man standing outside watches while various Mercedes-AMG SLs in bold colors are displayed inside the Manufaktur factory. The highlight of the video comes when a maroon car is pulled out of the building by mechanical arms and showcased on the street, with the man looking on in awe.
The ad highlights the brand’s top-tier paint job and custom interiors, inviting viewers to imagine their own personalized ride. With over 500k likes and 44 million views, this video is proof that FOOH ads can grab attention and go viral, showing just how much impact these campaigns can have.
2. dm-drogerie markt’s “Trend It Up” collection
FOOH ads are transforming the way we experience AR, pushing boundaries far beyond trying on makeup or visualizing furniture. Take this video from dm-drogerie markt as an example. In the ad, a girl is casually walking through a store when the floor in front of her suddenly “opens up,” revealing an underground area that looks like a pool – but without the water. Instead, human-sized matte lipstick bullets from the trend it up collection fill the space, some capped and others uncapped. The girl hops from one capped lipstick to another, like she’s in a real-life video game.
After making it safely across and back to solid ground, she bursts out laughing, adding a fun, relatable touch. The ad ended up getting 300k likes, proving how FOOH ads can really level up how we interact with augmented reality.
3. Vivo’s “UEFA EURO” in 2024
This Vivo’s Soccer Ball ad is the perfect example of how fake out of home ads are highly cost efficient and flexible. Instead of spending a fortune on physically posting ads at famous landmarks, Vivo used CGI animation to take the UEFA EURO 2024 soccer ball on a global journey. The ball bounces from one iconic spot to another, like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the Nur Alem Museum in Kazakhstan, Table Mountain in South Africa, and the Angel de la Independencia in Mexico City.
The video wraps up in Berlin, Germany, with confetti flying everywhere to celebrate Vivo’s role as the official mobile phone of the tournament. This ad is a creative way to make a worldwide impact without breaking the bank, proving how flexible and cost-effective FOOH ads can be.
The 3 Pillars of a Successful FOOH Advertising
Crafting a great Fake Out of Home campaign is all about creating an experience that resonates with your audience while still aligning with your brand’s goals and messaging. Here are the three essential ingredients, every standout FOOH campaign needs:
A Hook That Hooks You
In the fast-paced world of social media, the first few seconds of your FOOH ad are crucial. Your content needs to hook the audience instantly and leave them wanting more. Successful FOOH ads mirror the social media sentiment: they start at the climax, tease something exciting, and build anticipation.
How to Do It:
- Begin your video with the most visually striking or unexpected moment.
- Create a sense of intrigue that encourages viewers to stay and share.
- Design your FOOH ad to feel like it’s leading to something even bigger, keeping the audience engaged.
Always keep in mind: FOOH campaigns aren’t just about looking good – they’re about stopping the scroll and driving engagement. A strong hook ensures your ad gets noticed and remembered.
A Narrative That Aligns with Your Brand
FOOH Advertising is most impactful when it is an authentic extension of your brand’s story. They shouldn’t feel like a one-off attempt to hop on a trend. Instead, your FOOH asset should reinforce your brands identity and excite your audience with fresh, original ideas.
Take Pepsi’s campaign for its new logo as an example. To announce their new global logo, they went all out and made it a worldwide event. They didn’t just post a simple announcement; they made it a spectacle. From a giant Pepsi can in London to an insane drone light show in Ain Dubai, and even a helicopter dropping a massive can in Lahore, every second of the FOOH ad screamed excitement. And these scenes weren’t just chosen randomly, it all tied back to their message: “The new Pepsi era is now.” Using FOOH as a key piece of their global narrative and marketing for Instagram, Pepsi turned a simple logo reveal into a viral, unforgettable celebration.
Check out more great FOOH Ad examples in our library!
The Right Team to Execute Your Vision
Behind every great FOOH campaign is a team that understands how to combine creativity with flawless technical execution. Choosing the right partner ensures that every aspect – from the hook to aligning the campaign with your brand narrative, and blending real-world videography with CGI/VFX – works seamlessly together.
How to choose the right partner:
- Look for teams with a proven track record in FOOH or VFX-heavy campaigns.
- Prioritize creative partners who understand how to merge real-world videography with CGI seamlessly.
- Invest in professionals who can plan the shoot with the final product in mind, ensuring every detail serves the illusion.
It’s about finding a partner who understands your vision, brings fresh ideas to the table, and has the expertise to execute every detail with precision.
Why Fake Out of Home Should Be Part of Your 2025 Marketing Strategy
Fake Out of Home advertising has proven itself as more than just a trend, it’s a game-changing approach that meets the demands of today’s digital-savvy audience. As we move further into 2025, the rise of augmented reality ads, data-driven targeting, and heightened social media usage ensures that FOOH will remain a vital strategy for brands looking to stand out and make an impact. For marketers and agencies, now is the time to lean into this fresh, cost-effective, and highly engaging advertising strategy to stand out in an increasingly crowded digital space.
Working with professionals who understand the intricacies of FOOH advertising and what goes into the ads production process is crucial. These experts can navigate the technical challenges, bring creative ideas to life, and help your brand stand out in a competitive landscape. With the right tools and the right talent, they can transform your FOOH ad into an unforgettable experience that audiences can’t help but share.
So, if you’re looking to make waves with your campaigns, FOOH advertising needs to be at the top of your strategy this year. In an era where grabbing attention is harder than ever, fake out of home provides an opportunity to push boundaries, connect with audiences in meaningful ways, and really make your brand stand out.
Don’t just wait to jump on the trend, be the brand that others follow in 2025.
