2026 is shaping up to be a year of moment advertising, with several tentpole events planned. Cultural touchstones like the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and World Cup will bring fans across the globe together in physical spaces to celebrate shared experiences.
2026 is shaping up to be a year of moment advertising, with several tentpole events planned. Cultural touchstones such as the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and World Cup will bring fans across the globe together in physical spaces to celebrate shared experiences. Not only are these fans anticipating ads during these events, they’re also likely to welcome them. The Super Bowl drove $800m in advertising in 2025, and TV ads that ran during it proved 243% more effective than regular NFL-season ads.
FIFA forecasts are already projecting that five million fans will attend the football tournament matches next year, with an additional six billion expected to engage with the competition in other ways. Advertising around events like these, however, shouldn’t be solely focused on traditional TV, nor should it be reserved for the day of the event.
There are multiple ad channels and moments leading up to, during, and after a tentpole event that brands can leverage to maximize campaign results. Augmenting omnichannel campaigns around these tentpole events with a carefully timed, targeted, and dynamic OOH ad strategy can help broaden reach, enhance brand awareness, and inspire consumers to act.
Timing matters in OOH executions around tentpole events, which often benefit from advance planning. If premium inventory is a priority, the earlier it’s locked in, the better, whether through an OOH specialist agency or using tools like Broadsign In-Advance or programmatic guaranteed (PG). However, there’s also a place for traditional programmatic digital OOH (pDOOH), as premium inventory often books up fast. With pDOOH, you can still get access to high-value locations, and it’s easier to activate ads on the fly as key moments unfold.
Optimal timing depends on campaign goals. Advertising on the day of the event has its advantages, with audience attention at its peak and fans actively engaging in event-related conversations. But there’s also value in deploying ads before an event to build anticipation, and after, to ride the momentum. Think beyond placements just on the day of, and book OOH ads in transit hubs, grocery stores, and even along the road before, during, and after the event at times when your target audience is likely to think about it. A blended approach will help keep your brand top of mind.
Smart audience targeting is equally crucial for OOH advertising around tentpole events. A campaign that uses geofencing and device ID data to segment audiences will see better results. And brands that layer their programmatic digital OOH (DOOH) strategy by intent and proximity, prioritizing screens that align most closely with event-driven behavior, will benefit.
Determine how best to reach audiences in settings directly connected to the event where they’re more likely to engage. Targeting audiences near fan zone screens, on the outskirts of stadiums and arenas, at big transit hubs, and in entertainment districts with a track record of strong foot traffic will help reach your core audience as they travel to or from the event, gather to watch, or celebrate in public spaces.
Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is a powerful tool for maximizing OOH campaign results around tentpole events. Taking advantage of real-time developments, buyers can deliver more relevant, timely, and memorable campaigns that speak to what audiences are experiencing in the moment, whether a match highlight, a weather change, or even a spike in road traffic leading up to the event.
Event-driven moments that capture the audience’s attention, such as a goal in a football match, a concert encore, or a major announcement, can also be used to trigger creative across nearby screens the moment a noteworthy event occurs. For example, during a summer music festival, a beverage brand might instantly display ads highlighting refreshing drinks in response to rising temperatures. Or a CPG brand could promote the nearest grab-and-go coffee and snack options at a major conference just before morning sessions kick off.
Mapping creative variations to real-world events helps advertisers speak to audiences in the moment, which is powerful. A Harris Poll on behalf of OAAA revealed that more than 80 percent of respondents rated ads with grocery deals and restaurants, as well as weather-responsive ads, highly relevant and valuable.
Interactivity can also make ads more dynamic or engaging. QR codes, mobile contests, and live polls can transform a passive viewer into an active one and build brand loyalty. Adapting OOH creative to speak to key moments during tentpole events can help brands become part of them. A rideshare service, for instance, could run a post-game campaign prompting fans to scan a QR code to get a discount on a ride home, boosting engagement and enabling the brand to gather more first-party data.
Buyers can purchase OOH inventory for tentpole events in myriad ways, but there’s a scenario for each. The most successful campaigns will make use of more than one. Open exchange is optimal leading up to and after an event. Its pricing is dynamic and efficient, since it’s a real-time auction, but impressions aren’t guaranteed. That can be risky when multiple buyers have already reserved premium inventory in advance.
With private marketplace (PMP) deals, direct negotiations with publishers, and a unique deal ID makes it easier to secure premium screens. The catch: PMP deals are invite-only, exclusive, and often more expensive. Programmatic guaranteed (PG) buys, on the other hand, guarantee delivery ahead of time, but inventory is prioritized within the SSP. This means control over screens and timing can be limited.
In-Advance is another emerging option. It combines the best of programmatic and direct buying through the use of programmatic pipes. Buyers can use it to view, purchase, and reserve inventory months ahead of execution as they would with a direct buy, but from a DSP, cutting out a lot of the back-and-forth communications that are standard with direct buys.
Showcasing OOH campaign ROI is non-negotiable, but there’s no one right way. Measuring sales, footfall, brand lift, app downloads, and engagement data for tentpole event ads are all smart options. Sales, brand, and footfall can indicate how well a campaign resonated, while looking at the impact of an OOH campaign on brand awareness, perception, and purchase intent can yield invaluable insights. An uptick in installs and in-app activity can also be monitored during an event to identify the cities or environments with the most engagement, providing insights that can inform future planning.
Post-event, mobile location data reveal how strategically placed ads near venue exits and along transit paths impacted a business’s foot traffic. Many teams also compare product sales and revenue in markets exposed to OOH ads versus similar controlled regions, which can illustrate incremental lift and uncover the creative and OOH venue formats that were most effective at driving sales.
There’s no shortage of tentpole events planned for 2026, and buyers who leverage timing, data, DCO, and different buy types to reach audiences in the right moments leading up to, during, and after these events are sure to see measurable outcomes that won’t fail to impress.
