Back to School, Back to Work, Back to Reality

September Attention Paralysis: Why Is Traditional Outdoor Advertising Losing Its Effectiveness?

The post-vacation return brings with it a phenomenon that marketers know all too well: clutter. City streets are flooded with repetitive, aggressive messages, and the viewer’s brain defends itself against them using the only method available—it stops registering them. Standard billboards and large-format banners without a creative element induce banner blindness.

Data from our report, conducted in collaboration with IQS, shows that Poles increasingly perceive these media as outdated—26% and 27% of respondents, respectively, share this view. An ad intended to remind people of a brand becomes background noise that no one notices.

The “WOW” Effect and Overcoming Indifference - What Makes an Ad Memorable?

Since the audience instinctively filters out what’s familiar, a brand’s memorability hinges on the moment it breaks the routine. The hard data leaves no room for doubt. When asked what makes an outdoor ad truly stick in their minds, respondents unequivocally point to creative execution (57%) and the element of surprise (54%). It’s not the scale itself, nor the frequency of exposure—but rather the way the brand’s story is told.

This is confirmed by the psychology of returning to routine. According to the same study, 35% of Poles say they often pay attention to ads, but the most common response remains “sometimes”—that is, only when something particularly catches their eye. In the September rush to work and school, that bar is set exceptionally high.

A monumental, hand-painted mural naturally clears this hurdle: its scale and artisanal detail compel passersby to pause for a fraction of a second—something a standard banner simply cannot achieve. That’s why more and more brands are moving away from predictable formats in favor of creative outdoor advertising. You’ll find inspiration and specific projects—from advertising murals, through Digital Murals and Motion Murals, to custom large-format installations—in our portfolio.

Dominance and Prestige: Key Benefits of Murals for Brands

The scale of a mural directly translates into perceptions of status. Our research shows that over one-third of Poles believe that even a classic mural enhances the prestige of the advertised product. When we add custom installations—3D elements, digital layers, or lighting effects—the advantage grows: in the battle for perceived prestige, this format outperforms traditional advertising by a factor of five. The seamless blend of hand-painted art with new media automatically positions the brand in the premium segment.

Most importantly, however, a mural is not perceived as an intrusion. It is the format that Poles most prefer to see in their surroundings—34% of all respondents indicate this, and in large cities, as many as 43%. Instead of aggressively displaying a logo, the mural aesthetically enriches the urban fabric and evokes the emotions that are hardest to elicit in advertising: curiosity (58%) and admiration (48%). The brand ceases to be merely a messenger and becomes a patron of the space, which directly translates into brand loyalty.

Benefits of the Format for Key Industries

Phygital Campaign – How Does OOH Generate Reach on Social Media?

Modern outdoor advertising has a dual life—first on a building’s wall, and moments later on phone screens. This second wave is often bigger than the first. Our report shows that as many as one-third of Poles in major cities (and 37% of Gen Z) take photos of ads to send to friends.

Not every format is suited for this. Poles overwhelmingly choose murals—as many as 38% of responses (traditional billboards play virtually no role here). The mural is the king of sharing. Not only does it dominate the physical space, but it also drives its own organic reach—something you’d have to pay extra for with traditional OOH. This potential multiplies when offline is combined with online (e.g., through Digital Murals).

Premium Billboards: Strategic Locations on Poland’s Fall Map

Even the best ad campaign won’t work if it’s placed in a dead zone of the city. In September, billboards in high-traffic areas—such as transit hubs, universities, and lifestyle hotspots—are the winners.

Here are our flagship locations in Warsaw that guarantee maximum exposure time: