The Ad Formats That Cut Through

From car wraps to cinema screens—here’s where the real attention lives now.

Let’s be honest: ads in 2025 are kind of everywhere. But not all ads are created equal. Some formats are background noise. Others? They make people stop, stare, scan, and maybe even smile.

If you’re a brand trying to figure out where to show up this year (without going broke or boring people), here are the trends that are quietly taking over Indian streets, screens, and skies. No fluff. Just real stuff.

Trend #1: Car Advertising Is the OG Mobile Ad

Remember when a wrapped cab or auto felt like a novelty? In 2025, car branding is officially mainstream and still ridiculously effective.

Whether it’s a delivery fleet with your logo or a cab wrapped like a giant juice box, car advertising in India is all about turning heads during traffic jams (which, let’s be real, are never going away).

Why it works:

• It’s real-world visible, not scroll-past invisible
• Great for hyperlocal buzz, think new store openings, events, or app launches
• People literally follow your brand around

Bonus points if you add a QR code or an interactive element. We’ve seen brands turn car roofs into games. Yes, really.

Trend #2: Cinema Ads Are Quietly Cool Again

In a world of skipped YouTube ads and muted Instagram stories, ads in movie theaters are having a full-on glow-up. People choose to watch them. Crazy, right?

Whether it’s a big-screen cinema advertising before a blockbuster or a regional shoutout before a local hit, cinema advertising is the sneaky MVP of brand recall.

Perfect for:

• Emotional storytelling (hello, 30-second tearjerker ad)
• High-focus impressions (no one’s doomscrolling in the theater)
• Associating with the vibe of the film (rom-com, thriller, superhero? Pick your lane.)

Think of it as prestige ad placement without the OTT platform politics.

Trend #3: Airports = Where Rich Attention Lives

Let’s talk airspace but not in the aviation sense.

Airport advertising is where aspirational brands get seen by travelers who are either feeling super important (business trip) or super indulgent (vacay mode). Either way, they’re spending.

And with footfalls surging at hubs like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, airport ads are going luxe LED walls, carousel wraps, even digital stories in lounges.

Who’s doing it right?

• Beauty brands = glam at the gate
• Fintechs = trust-me vibes near check-in
• Auto brands = parked right next to premium lounges (talk about flex)

If you want to be taken seriously, you park your brand at the airport.

Trend #4: OOH Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Smarter Now

Gone are the days of putting a billboard on a flyover and calling it a day. Outdoor advertising companies in 2025 are using data, heatmaps, and vibes to figure out where to show up.

• Transit shelter advertising with motion sensors
• Roadside LED panels that change by time of day
• Street-level QR-led scavenger hunts (yep, that’s a thing)

Outdoor ads aren’t static anymore. They’re alive. Sort of.

Trend #5: “Carnival Advertising” Is the Street Party of OOH

If advertising and performance art had a baby, it’d be this.

Carnival advertising is part stunt, part theatre, part brand flex. Picture a car dressed up like a toothpaste tube. Or a street team giving out hot coffee samples in the shape of a giant cup on wheels.

This isn’t traditional OOH. It’s loud, it’s fun, it’s mobile, and it’s very 2025.

Brands are using it to:

• Launch new products with drama
• Do surprise-and-delight moments at traffic lights
• Create viral content that doesn’t feel like advertising

Think: chaos, but branded.

Trend #6: Mixing Mediums = Main Character Energy

The real trick in 2025? It’s not about choosing between cinema, car wraps, or airports. It’s about doing all of them but smartly.

Run a cinema ad for big storytelling. Follow it up with car branding across key areas. Land the final impression at the airport as your audience flies out.

It’s not about blasting everywhere it’s about orchestrating a story across mediums. OOH meets IRL meets vibe-check.

Where your brand should show up depends on your goal but here’s the quick guide. If you're aiming for local buzz, opt for car branding combined with roadside outdoor advertising to make your presence felt on the streets. For a premium presence, airport advertising delivers the high-visibility, high-value impact you need. If your goal is emotional storytelling, cinema ads are perfect, tapping into a captive, emotionally engaged audience. Want maximum reach? Go for transit shelters paired with digital OOH to blanket high-footfall areas. And when you're chasing that viral moment, Carnival advertising with its mix of mobility, interaction, and spectacle is the way to go.

Final Word

If your 2025 ad plan still looks like it did in 2020, it’s time for a glow-up. Attention isn’t where it used to be and honestly, that’s exciting.

Today’s best campaigns are the ones that surprise you in traffic, greet you at the airport, or make you laugh before your movie starts.

So don’t just advertise. Show up. Play with the space. And make people remember you in the real world.

Need help figuring out where your brand should live this year? We get it. BuzzOmni’s got the tea, the tools, and the transit vans. Let’s talk.