What if everything you’ve purchased and every thought you’ve had was never yours to begin with?

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but psychology really can affect your decisions.

The exploration of psychology has unlocked countless research through studies and experiments, and advertisers have taken that knowledge and applied it to the field, particularly out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

It’s not nefarious, it’s actually pretty smart! We come across upwards of ten thousand ads in a single day, and some have a certain je ne sais quoi that keeps them stuck in your head for weeks.

This shows precisely how human behaviors and thoughts can be leveraged. Now that we’ve got your neurons firing, let’s explore some critical psychological principles used in the greatest ads.

Visual Power

Visual power covers many aspects, specifically size and color. The more visual power an ad has, the more it stands out, reaches target audiences, and encourages specific actions.

Bigger billboards and ads have greater viewership. It’s pretty hard to miss a 650-square-foot ad on the side of a building. Size captures initial attention, but color influences how that attention converts into action:

Color may seem simple, but its effects in advertising are proven—even a difference in shade can determine success. Size and color are quintessential to any good ad, but the best also use emotions.

Emotions

Emotions take advertising to a whole new level. Evoking feelings like sadness, happiness, anger, and nostalgia forms a special connection with viewers that drives valuable action and lasting positive associations with brands.

We favor what makes us feel deep, positive feelings, and that applies to brands, too.

Sadness is often used in donation campaigns because it works. The right emotions build loyal followers and encourage desired actions—and billboards convey them on a large scale, affecting thousands daily.