Making the initial decision to kick off an ad campaign in a populous city is thrilling for small and large businesses alike! Of all the major cities to choose from (New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, etc.) Chicago is a great city to test the waters of your ad campaign in! NOt only is Chicago the most populous city in Illinois, it’s also a great market to utilize billboards and other out-of-home media formats in your advertising campaign. With a population of approximately 2,693,959 people, there’s a great opportunity for all businesses small and large to leverage out-of-home advertising in finding new customers, building their brand, and growing their business.
With a billboard
Chicago billboards are usually located in highly visible, heavy traffic areas such as highways, primary arterials, and major intersections. The billboard advertising artwork, is often “rotated” by the outdoor outdoor advertising company amongst several locations to achieve the advertiser’s desired CPM, reach and frequency for their target audience. The average cost of a billboard in Chicago is $2.4k with the lowest price being $175. The median impressions from this kind of medium is about 952,498,594.
With a digital billboard
Digital Billboards in Chicago are usually located in highly visible, heavy traffic areas such as highways, primary arterials, and major intersections. The billboard advertising artwork is often “rotated” by the outdoor outdoor advertising company amongst several locations to achieve the advertiser’s desired CPM, reach and frequency for their target audience. The average cost for a digital billboard in Chicago is $2.3k with the lowest price being $960. The median impressions you can expect from a campaign like this is 910,276,901.
With street furniture ads
Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed along streets and roads for various purposes. Some examples of Chicago street furniture include ads on: bicycles/scooters, transit shelters, bus benches, kiosks and newsstands. Street furniture media has a long dwell time“ and is a great OOH media format for ads with call-to-actions to prospective customers waiting on their commute. The average cost for a street furniture ad campaign is $660 with the lowest price being $200. The median impressions your ad can get from a similar campaign is 1,141,289,199.
With wallscape ads
Wallscapes in Chicago are typically attached to prime real estate and are able to accommodate a wide variety of unusual shapes and sizes. These advertisements are visible from a distance and provide impact rivaling large billboard ads. Marketers tend to like this OOH format, as it has a large social media impact and is easily shareable. The average cost of a wallscape ad in Chicago is $8.3k with the lowest price being $500. The median impressions your ad could receive is 524,267,003.
With wildposting ads
Wildpostings are a form of out-of-home advertising where static posters are placed in a large number on multiple locations, primarily in dense, urban areas, to attract maximum attention. Wildpostings are a cost-effective form of outdoor advertising that offers advertisers a high degree of exposure for small business owners to drive brand awareness in high traffic areas. The average cost of a wildposting ad in Chicago is $5k with the lowest price being $2,450. The median impressions your ad campaign may receive is 301,255,897.
With transit ads
Chicago transit advertising is placed in or on modes of public transportation or in high foot traffic public areas targeting commuters. Types of transit ads include airborne banners, airport advertising, bus interiors/posters/wraps, mobile billboards, subway advertising, and ads on top of taxis. The average cost of a transit ad in Chicago is $13.5k with the lowest price being $125. The median impressions your ad may get from a transit ad is 6,674,086,920.
Where to advertise
If you’re targeting a college audience with your outdoor advertising campaign, Chicago has some great inventory at affordable rates near the following institutions of higher learning. Consider advertising at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There are also some great billboards in Chicago near stadiums and complexes like United Center, Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, and SeetGeek stadium.
Out-of-home media placements near popular tourist attractions make great places to advertise in Chicago. Billboards, wallscapes, and windowscapes are all great media formats that our customers have targeted with past campaigns near Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Airports are great places where ads can be effective in growing your business. Here are a few popular airports that help an ad campaign perform well and get wonderful engagement: O’Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, American Coach Limousine, and last but certainly not least… Chicago Executive Airport-PWK.
