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    From Brainstorm to Billboard:

    Best Practices for DOOH Campaigns

    Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising is one of the fastest-growing media formats today — captivating audiences on city streets, in transit hubs, malls, and beyond. But while DOOH offers high-impact exposure, it also demands a sharp creative and technical process. For advertising agencies, succeeding in DOOH means not just thinking big, but thinking smart — all the way from the first idea to the final file that plays on screen.

    At CinemaFlow, we specialize in preparing and packaging your DOOH content for flawless playback across major global networks, including those used by JCDecaux, Clear Channel, and Ocean Outdoor. But we also believe that great execution starts early — during the brainstorm phase.

    Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of best practices every agency should follow, and how CinemaFlow can support you at every stage.

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    1. Brainstorm with the Medium in Mind

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    Start your creative process by thinking screen-first. Unlike social or TV ads, DOOH is seen fleetingly — on the go, without sound, and often on non-standard screen sizes.

    • Prioritize visual impact over dialogue or voiceover

    • Design for no-audio environments

    • Think in 3–10 second story arcs

    • Consider screen shape: portrait, landscape, ultra-wide

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    CINEMAFLOW offers pre-design templates for popular DOOH screen formats, helping your creative team visualize framing, resolution, and safe zones before you start animating or filming.

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    2. Design with Simplicity and Motion in Balance

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    Great DOOH creative is clean, bold, and dynamic. Overloading with text, transitions, or intricate layouts makes ads hard to digest at a glance.

    • Use large, legible text (no fine print!)

    • Keep the motion smooth and purposeful

    • Limit the number of focal points in the design

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    3. Test Your Creative in Real-World Conditions

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    Preview how your content will look in bright daylight, fast-paced settings, or on tall vertical displays. If you can, view test renders on location or with a simulator.

    • Adjust contrast, brightness, and saturation accordingly

    • Test readability from various distances

    • Optimize for both day and night playback

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    4. Package for the Platform — Not Just for Playback

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    Each DOOH network (JCDecaux, Clear Channel, etc.) has its own set of technical requirements: resolution, duration, codec, audio policy, bitrate, and naming conventions.

    • Always follow the exact specs provided by the media buyer or screen owner

    • Include correct file formats (MP4, JPEG, PNG, etc.)

    • Respect length limits, file weight, and orientation specs

    • Include static backups if required

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    This is CINEMAFLOW core offering. We take your final creative and package it for DOOH delivery, including:

    • File conversion and encoding (H.264, ProRes, etc.)

    • Framerate and resolution matching

    • Safe zone verification

    • Static asset exports

    • File naming and versioning

    • Delivery in ready-to-upload format

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    Let CINEMAFLOW take care of the packaging, formatting, and delivery — so your ads hit screens looking exactly as intended. 

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