Creative Quality Emerges as Key Factor in OOH Campaign Performance, New Analysis Finds

Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) and Super Optimal released an analysis on May 7, 2026 showing creative quality strongly correlates with out-of-home (OOH) campaign performance.

Rhea-AI Summary

Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) and Super Optimal released an analysis on May 7, 2026 showing creative quality strongly correlates with out-of-home (OOH) campaign performance. The study reviewed 27 RADARProof studies and found creative scores aligned with brand outcomes in 70% of campaigns. Clear Channel also cites prior work showing OOH drove 13.3% ad awareness, outperforming TV, digital and CTV. Clear Channel will integrate Super Optimal creative scoring into future RADARProof attribution studies to help advertisers test and optimize OOH creative for better brand lift.

Positive

• Creative quality aligned with outcomes in 70% of campaigns
• Clear Channel to integrate Super Optimal scoring into RADARProof
• Analysis based on 27 RADARProof studies
• OOH cited with 13.3% ad awareness, higher than TV and digital

Negative

• Findings described as an early step in creative optimization
• About 30% of campaigns did not show creative-performance alignment

Argus May 7 session

+0.42% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – CCO

On May 7, the day this news came out, CCO closed 0.42% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the May 7 session.

Key Figures

RADARProof studies: 27 studies Creative-performance alignment: 70% of campaigns OOH ad awareness lift: 13.3% +3 more

RADARProof studies

27 studies

Analysis sample size with Kantar and Super Optimal

Creative-performance alignment

70% of campaigns

Share where creative quality aligned with brand outcomes

OOH ad awareness lift

13.3%

Average growth in ad awareness for OOH ads

TV ad awareness lift

10.2%

Average growth in ad awareness for TV ads

Digital ad awareness lift

3.9%

Average growth in ad awareness for digital ads

Connected TV lift

2.2%

Average growth in ad awareness for connected TV

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Apr 13

5 events

1. Apr 13

   Debt consent results

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   Secured requisite consents to amend senior secured note indentures tied to merger.

2. Apr 06

   Debt consent launch

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   Commenced consent solicitation to adjust change-of-control terms for merger.

3. Mar 27

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   Headline questioning whether multiple companies secured fair deals for shareholders.

4. Mar 12

   Airport contract win

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   Won 10-year Omaha Eppley Airfield media contract with $1M digital investment.

5. Mar 03

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   Partnered with Footballco to show World Cup content across U.S. digital billboards.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

out-of-home, brand lift, attribution studies

3 terms

out-of-home technical

"prior research demonstrating the effectiveness of out-of-home (OOH) advertising"

Out-of-home refers to advertising that reaches people when they are outside their homes, such as on billboards, bus stops, or digital screens in public spaces. It matters to investors because it is a key way companies promote their products to a wide audience, often leading to increased brand awareness and sales. Like a billboard on a busy street catching the attention of thousands daily, out-of-home advertising aims to influence consumers where they are already out and about.

brand lift technical

"stronger creative scores were more likely to deliver higher brand lift"

A brand lift measures how much a marketing campaign changes people's awareness, favorability, or intent to buy a company’s products. Think of it as a short-term thermometer or a before-and-after poll that shows whether advertising made a brand more visible or attractive; investors use it to judge whether marketing is likely to boost sales, customer loyalty and the return on marketing spend, which can affect revenue forecasts and valuation.

attribution studies technical

"integrate its creative scoring into future RADARProof attribution studies"

Attribution studies are analyses that break down an investment’s returns to show which decisions, sectors, or factors caused gains or losses, like tasting a dish to identify which ingredients changed the flavor. They tell investors whether performance came from market moves, specific stock picks, or strategy choices, helping judge a manager’s skill, spot sources of risk, and decide whether to keep or adjust an investment approach.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Initial Findings Point to Strong Link Between Creative Execution and Brand Outcomes

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on prior research demonstrating the effectiveness of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, new analysis from Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) and Super Optimal suggests that creative quality plays a meaningful role in determining why some OOH campaigns outperform others.

Drawing on 27 RADARProof studies conducted with Kantar, the analysis incorporates creative scoring from Super Optimal to compare campaign performance across key brand metrics including ad awareness, favorability and purchase intent.

In 70% of the measured campaigns, creative quality aligned with brand performance outcomes. Campaigns with stronger creative scores were more likely to deliver higher brand lift, while weaker creative was more often associated with underperformance. Together, these findings suggest a meaningful, direct relationship between creative quality and campaign outcomes.

"Creative is one of the most controllable drivers of campaign performance in OOH, yet it's often under-leveraged as a strategic input," said Mike McGraw, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director at Clear Channel Outdoor. "By bringing structured creative scoring into measurement frameworks, we can help advertisers understand not just what worked, but why, and use that insight to continuously test, refine and improve campaign performance over time."

This analysis also builds on broader industry findings, including Clear Channel and Kantar's recent study analyzing thousands of brand campaigns that showed OOH ads prompted an average 13.3% growth in ad awareness, outpacing TV (10.2%), digital (3.9%) and connected TV (2.2%), highlighting both the strength of the channel and the opportunity to further optimize results through creative effectiveness.

To build on these insights, Clear Channel Outdoor is partnering with Super Optimal, to integrate its creative scoring into future RADARProof attribution studies, enabling advertisers to evaluate creative alongside campaign outcomes and apply those insights to optimize future campaigns.

"There is immense value in bringing data and consistency to something that has historically been subjective," said Neil Morris, Founder at Super Optimal. "This analysis reinforces a simple truth: out-of-home works best when creative is intentionally designed for the medium. By testing creative within a consistent OOH-focused framework, we can validate what drives performance and offer clear, practical insight."

This news marks an early step in Clear Channel's broader investment in creative optimization and measurement, helping brands better align medium, message and outcome in an increasingly complex media landscape.

"We're building on what we already know: OOH is a proven, high-performing medium. This data begins to answer a more important question about what drives stronger results within the channel," said Dan Levi, Chief Marketing Officer at Clear Channel Outdoor. "Creative has always mattered, and these early findings suggest creative strategy and design should be treated as strategic performance levers, with OOH creative being designed specifically for the medium, not just extended from other media formats."

About Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) is at the forefront of driving innovation in the out-of-home advertising industry. Our dynamic advertising platform is broadening the pool of advertisers using its medium through the expansion of digital billboards and displays and the integration of data analytics and programmatic capabilities that deliver measurable campaigns that are simpler to buy. By leveraging the scale, reach and flexibility of our diverse portfolio of assets, we connect advertisers with millions of consumers every month.

About Super Optimal
Super Optimal is a design intelligence platform built specifically for the out-of-home advertising industry. Using machine learning models trained on proven OOH design principles, the platform analyses creative assets and provides actionable optimization guidance across metrics such as simplicity, clarity and attention. To learn more, click here.

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SOURCE Clear Channel Outdoor

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) find about creative quality on May 7, 2026?

Creative quality correlated with brand performance in 70% of measured campaigns. According to Clear Channel Outdoor, the analysis reviewed 27 RADARProof studies and used Super Optimal creative scoring to compare brand lift metrics.

How will Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) use Super Optimal creative scoring going forward?

Clear Channel will integrate Super Optimal scoring into future RADARProof attribution studies to evaluate creative alongside outcomes. According to Clear Channel Outdoor, this aims to help advertisers test and optimize OOH creative for better campaign performance.

How does OOH ad awareness compare to other channels in Clear Channel's analysis?

Clear Channel cites OOH with 13.3% ad awareness growth, above TV, digital and CTV. According to Clear Channel Outdoor, prior study results show OOH outpaced TV (10.2%), digital (3.9%) and connected TV (2.2%).

How large was the dataset used in Clear Channel Outdoor's creative analysis?

The analysis drew on 27 RADARProof studies that included Kantar measurement and Super Optimal creative scores. According to Clear Channel Outdoor, those studies were used to compare creative quality against brand lift metrics.

What should advertisers take away from Clear Channel Outdoor's creative findings (CCO)?

Advertisers should treat OOH creative as a strategic lever and test medium-specific designs. According to Clear Channel Outdoor, structured creative scoring can reveal why campaigns succeed and guide iterative creative optimization.