The Last Touchpoint: Why Elevator DOOH Advertising Is the New Frontier of Influence

DOOH by the Numbers

While the narrative of DOOH is rooted in human behaviour and place‑based storytelling, a snapshot of the data helps illustrate the scale and momentum behind this medium. Key facts include:

• Growth of the medium. Global digital‑out‑of‑home advertising is forecast to grow from around USD 18.18 billion in 2025 to USD 25.65 billion by 2030.

• Indoor expansion. Indoor environments – including lift lobbies and office buildings – captured roughly one‑third of the global DOOH market in 2025 and are expected to grow at nearly 12 % per year.

• Consumer favourability. A Harris Poll for the OAAA found that roughly three‑quarters of consumers view DOOH ads favourably and have recently taken action after seeing one.

• Mobile actions. In the same study, nearly three‑quarters of mobile users have acted on their phones after encountering a DOOH ad. More than half of consumers who have noticed a directional DOOH ad visited the advertised business, and most of those visitors made a purchase.

• Contextual relevance. Dynamic DOOH content that aligns with context – such as weather‑responsive or time‑sensitive offers – is considered useful by more than eight out of ten consumers.

• Recall and relevance. Research by Solomon Partners and Nielsen shows that DOOH delivers industry‑leading recall and is rated more relevant than television.

• Sustainability. DOOH has a lower carbon footprint than many online channels and can be powered by renewable energy. 

  
  

Introduction 

Picture the moment between pressing a lift button and the doors opening. Your hands are full, your phone is silent for a change, and your mind is in a neutral gear. Behavioural psychologists describe this as a liminal space – a threshold between two states. Waiting for the lift evokes anticipation and a subtle sense of control; we wonder whether we pressed the button correctly or if the lift is even coming. In these few seconds our attention contracts around the numbers on the display and the surrounding environment. Far from being wasted time, these 30‑second windows are some of the only moments in modern life when we aren’t bombarded by competing screens. They form a natural pause between public life and private space, between work tasks and after‑work plans. On the wall beside the call buttons there is often a digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) screen. When thoughtfully used, that screen turns the vertical pause into the last touchpoint on the consumer journey – the final chance to influence decisions before someone walks into their home or steps into the office.

Elevator DOOH Advertising

The Changing Nature of Attention

Attention Overload and the Rise of Elevator DOOH Advertising

The digital ecosystem has become so noisy that our senses have started to shut down. In 2024, the average person was estimated to encounter between 6,000 and 10,000 advertising messages each day. At the same time, our attention spans have shrunk to around eight seconds. Ad fatigue, banner blindness and widespread use of ad‑blockers mean audiences are tuning out. Traditional digital marketing strategies struggle in this saturated environment, forcing brands to search for more thoughtful ways to connect.

DOOH sits at the intersection of the real and digital worlds. Unlike endless feeds on phones or laptops, the screens inhabit shared spaces we already traverse – so messages are seen without being intrusive. Marketers are reallocating budget to DOOH because it pairs the high impact of physical media with the flexibility of programmatic delivery. Creative can change based on time, weather or local events, and campaigns rely on contextual cues rather than personal data, making the medium privacy‑safe.

Why Physical Screens Cut Through Digital Fatigue

Messages displayed on a physical screen can’t be scrolled past or muted. When installed in thoughtfully chosen locations, DOOH screens become part of the environment, inviting a glance without interrupting. The tactile world also triggers different emotional responses than a device screen. In the liminal space of a lift lobby, a moving image catches our eye precisely because there is nothing else competing for attention. It feels like a welcome contrast to the background noise of smartphones and laptops. In addition, DOOH is future‑proof: as third‑party cookies disappear and regulators clamp down on invasive tracking, contextual targeting offered by DOOH becomes increasingly valuable.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Out‑of‑home advertising has long been known for its ability to influence. People tend to remember the last thing they see before entering a store or their home; Elevator DOOH advertising makes that moment count. Studies have found that consumers not only notice digital billboards but recall them later and even rate them more relevant than other media. In other words, messages delivered in the physical world stick – and they prompt real‑world responses.

The Power of Place: Lift Lobbies as Micro‑Environments

Captive Audiences and Repeat Rituals

Most DOOH screens are designed for busy locations – high‑streets, transit hubs, highways. Lift lobbies, however, create an entirely different dynamic. When we wait for an elevator our gaze is fixed; there are no competing billboards or traffic lights. The average dwell time is about 30 seconds, long enough for a message to be processed and remembered. Unlike a roadside ad that you pass once, you use the lift multiple times each day, which means repeated exposures at predictable times. Networks typically schedule 60‑second loops with 10‑second slots, ensuring variety without overload. Property managers also display essential notices on the same screens, giving residents and office workers a reason to look up and trust the content. This built‑in utility transforms the screen from a mere ad channel into part of daily life.

The Psychology of Waiting

The elevator lobby is a fascinating psychological space. Anxious anticipation makes each second feel longer, and pressing the button provides a feeling of control. Designers even include placebo buttons to give us a sense of agency – a phenomenon psychologists call the illusion of control. There’s an unspoken social etiquette, too: strangers stand silently, sometimes exchanging a brief nod. Mirrors make cramped spaces feel bigger, soothing claustrophobia. When a DOOH screen sits in this environment, it isn’t fighting for attention; it is the only moving object. Research into the recency effect shows that people remember the last items they encounter better than earlier ones. A well‑timed message delivered just before someone opens their front door can linger in memory throughout the evening. Repetition reinforces this effect, especially when the creative changes contextually across dayparts.

Residential vs. Commercial Contexts

Residential lift lobbies connect people as they shift from public to personal life. They are thinking about dinner, streaming choices, bill payments. In office lobbies, the audience is making quick decisions about lunch, finance or after‑work plans. This difference allows advertisers to tailor messages. A grocery delivery service can appear at 5 p.m. in residential buildings, while a fintech app can promote tax‑deadline reminders near the end of the month in office towers. Because DOOH networks know which screens are installed in which postcodes, targeting can be hyper‑local, reaching a single building if necessary. Instead of casting a wide net, brands can drop a line exactly where the fish are.

Elevator DOOH Advertising

Final‑Moment Influence: Stories from the Lobby

Dinner Decisions and Rainy Commutes

Imagine you come home on a rainy night. You’re hungry, not keen on cooking, and as the lift arrives an ad displays: “Order dinner in the next 30 minutes and get free delivery.” The message isn’t random – the system has detected the weather and the time. This type of contextual trigger is a hallmark of modern DOOH. Research from FOOH notes that people are significantly more likely to buy when ads feel personalised and are influenced by relevant product recommendations. By aligning creative with real‑world conditions, DOOH campaigns turn a moment of indecision into a conversion.

Lunchtime Cravings and QR Codes

Now picture an office worker approaching the lift at 12:50 p.m., stomach rumbling. The screen flashes a coupon for a salad bar around the corner, valid for the next 20 minutes. The viewer scans the QR code, places an order and skips the queue. Research summarised by FOOH shows that customers exposed to DOOH are far more likely to engage with a brand on their phones – scanning codes, visiting websites or downloading apps. This offline‑to‑online loop amplifies a campaign’s reach without additional media spend.

Evidence of Behavioural Impact

Multiple studies confirm that DOOH messages delivered in transition moments influence real‑world actions. InBeat Agency summarises that most consumers view DOOH favourably and that many take action after seeing a campaign. The OAAA’s Harris Poll found that mobile users frequently act on their phones after viewing a DOOH ad. Digital Signage Today reports that adults recall seeing OOH ads and often take action, including purchasing products. In other words, these final seconds before the lift arrives aren’t just filler; they are conversion opportunities.

Measurement & Accountability: From Impressions to Outcomes

Programmatic Adoption and Growth

The explosion of programmatic technology is driving DOOH into the mainstream. Recent industry surveys show that programmatic spend now represents a significant share of the DOOH market and is growing quickly. By purchasing impressions in real time and layering on data signals, advertisers can target audiences with the same precision they expect from digital campaigns – and measure outcomes with comparable granularity.

Measuring What Matters

New tools have transformed DOOH from an impressions‑only medium to an outcome‑driven channel. Platforms combine aggregated footfall data, anonymised mobile signals and QR‑code interactions to link exposures to store visits and purchases. Real‑time analytics monitor dwell time, demographic breakdowns and engagement, while multitouch attribution integrates DOOH results into broader media models. Because these methods rely on contextual and anonymised signals rather than personal data, DOOH delivers accountability while respecting privacy.

Sustainability and Responsible Media

Advertisers are increasingly prioritising sustainable media. Out‑of‑home has a lower carbon footprint than many digital channels: DOOH in the UK produces a fraction of the carbon emissions associated with online advertising and accounts for only a small share of total advertising power consumption. Operators are adopting renewable energy sources and energy‑efficient LEDs, and digital screens can be updated remotely to eliminate printing and waste. Solar‑powered displays and AI‑driven brightness controls further reduce emissions. These innovations align with consumer expectations: people increasingly prioritise sustainability when choosing brands.

Strategic Advantages for Brands in Elevator DOOH Advertising

Hyper‑Local Precision

Elevator DOOH advertising allows brands to target specific postcodes or even individual buildings. This precision is ideal for local businesses, property developers, healthcare providers and community campaigns. Rather than paying for city‑wide billboards, advertisers can focus budgets on residents and workers who will actually see and act on the message.

Contextual and Dynamic Creative

Programmatic DOOH enables real‑time creative triggers based on weather, time and events. Retailers can promote hot drinks on cold mornings, streaming services can advertise new releases on Friday evenings and fitness studios can encourage sign‑ups during New Year’s resolution season. Because creative can change instantly, campaigns remain fresh and relevant, increasing engagement.

Captive Audience & Repeat Exposure

Lift users make several trips per day, giving screens multiple opportunities to reinforce a message. The 30‑second dwell time is substantially longer than the typical online ad view. And because screens are integrated with building communications, they command a level of trust that online banners seldom enjoy.

Sustainability and ESG Alignment

Brands with environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals can choose DOOH networks that power screens with renewable energy, use recyclable materials or plant trees for campaigns. DOOH eliminates paper waste and reduces carbon emissions by allowing remote content updates. Choosing DOOH is therefore not just an advertising decision but a sustainability statement.

Omnichannel Integration

The path from a lift‑lobby screen to a digital action is short. QR codes, short URLs and near‑field communication drive people to apps and websites. Because exposure data can be connected to mobile identifiers in a privacy‑safe way, advertisers can retarget viewers later across social media and streaming platforms. This creates a seamless omnichannel journey: see, scan, act and repeat.

Elevator DOOH Advertising

Conclusion – From Last Touchpoint to First Priority

As attention grows scarcer and marketing clutter intensifies, the humble lift lobby emerges as a canvas for high‑impact storytelling. It is where digital precision meets physical presence, where privacy‑safe targeting meets environmental responsibility, and where moments of anticipation become conversion opportunities. Programmatic technology and measurement tools have brought accountability and agility to a medium once seen as static, while sustainability innovations ensure that growth doesn’t come at the planet’s expense.

In the UK, 30Seconds Media has harnessed these dynamics. Our network spans hundreds of screens across 20 cities and reaches thousands of households and offices. Each screen runs six 10‑second ads in a 60‑second loop, integrated with building notices and updated remotely. We collect direct feedback via CUE surveys to measure awareness, recall and purchase intent, while planting trees for every campaign to offset emissions. For brands and agencies searching for a way to cut through digital clutter with stories that resonate, the elevator lobby represents the last – and perhaps most potent – touchpoint before a decision is made. In the race for attention, those final 30 seconds might just become the first priority.

At 30Seconds Media, we’re rethinking how brands connect in everyday spaces.

 Let’s start a conversation about how elevator DOOH can work for your brand.