PML Group has published research showing that 425,000 Irish adults have bought products or requested information after seeing promotional posters, marking a substantial increase from just over 250,000 adults recorded twelve months earlier. The findings emerge from the autumn 2026 Republic of Ireland TGI survey data released by Fifty5Blue.
Nearly half of all Irish adults (48.4 per cent) report taking action after exposure to Out-of-Home advertising, either immediately or at a later time. Among those already engaged with OOH formats, the action rate climbs to 63 per cent, demonstrating the medium’s capacity to influence business and consumer decision-making.
Key facts
- 68 per cent of Irish adults recall seeing at least one form of OOH advertising in the past week, up from 66 per cent in 2025 and 63 per cent in 2022
- Digital OOH consumers are 37 per cent more likely to rank outdoor advertisements as most useful in purchase decisions
- 75 per cent of Dubliners, 78 per cent of students and 72 per cent of AB socio-economic groups report recent OOH exposure
- Dynamic Digital Out-of-Home campaigns can deliver a 16 per cent sales uplift when content is contextually relevant
- 425,000 Irish adults have purchased or requested information after seeing poster promotions
Trust and Effectiveness Measures
The research indicates that consumers exposed to Out-of-Home advertising hold more favourable views of the medium than the general population. Classic OOH consumers demonstrate 33 per cent greater trust in outdoor advertising compared to all other media channels. One-third of OOH consumers report frequently discussing promotions they have observed on posters, underlining the format’s conversation-generating capacity.
According to James Byrne, Marketing Manager at PML Group, separate research titled The Moments of Truth revealed that consumer brain response increases by 18 per cent when viewing contextually relevant content in Digital Out-of-Home campaigns. This heightened engagement correlates with a 17 per cent improvement in spontaneous advertising recall and ultimately contributes to a 16 per cent sales increase. Combined, these findings produce an overall campaign effectiveness uplift of 17 per cent.
Work Patterns and Public Transport Usage
The survey examined mobility patterns across the Irish population, finding that 65.2 per cent of workers consistently travel to their workplace. Hybrid working arrangements account for 21.7 per cent of employees, while 13 per cent work exclusively from home. Contrary to expectations, remote workers show higher OOH consumer rates at 69 per cent, highlighting the medium’s reach across multiple daily contexts beyond commuting routes.
Public transport usage remains significant in Dublin, where 45 per cent of residents travel by bus weekly and 22 per cent use Dart, train or Luas services. Leap card adoption reaches 63 per cent among Dubliners. Shopping behaviour shows that over 95 per cent of Irish adults visit supermarkets at least monthly, with 78 per cent travelling by car for these trips. Monthly shopping centre visits stand at 61 per cent nationally.
Seasonal Campaigns and Enhanced Formats
The research release coincides with seasonal advertising activity, including a Halloween campaign from M&M’S featuring UV-painted murals and enhanced digital formats. Sarah King, M&M’S Brand Activation Leader, noted that Halloween represents a significant opportunity to test innovative formats that reflect the brand’s visual identity. The campaign deployed a UV-painted mural in Stoneybatter that transforms after dark, alongside ten MetroGlo-enhanced JCDecaux Metropoles across Dublin and Ad Boxes positioned near convenience stores and supermarkets nationwide.
The mural, designed by PML Group’s in-house Create team and installed by Collectiv, uses UV lighting to illuminate pink lettering and fluorescent character details after sunset. The campaign demonstrates how contextual placement near shopping locations keeps brands visible during purchase decision moments.
Sporting events continue to drive heightened emotional engagement, with the Six Nations Championship leading interest levels, followed by GAA All-Ireland Championships and major soccer tournaments. These occasions create specific real-time opportunities for brands to tailor messaging on Digital Screens, maximising recall and emotional resonance among audiences.
Reporting based on original coverage by Adworld.