DOOH Finds New Growth in Existing Screens

Digital screens already operating inside commercial buildings are creating new opportunities for DOOH advertising. Vertical City’s expansion to 10,000 elevator screens shows how existing infrastructure can become a scalable media network and why accessibility and measurement will determine its value to advertisers.

Digital screens installed for building operations are becoming a new source of advertising inventory. From elevators to commercial properties, displays originally intended for communications and information services are creating opportunities for media companies to expand their networks without installing dedicated advertising hardware.

Vertical City’s expansion to 10,000 elevator screens across North America illustrates how the model is taking shape. By integrating advertising into displays used for building communications and elevator operations, the company is turning existing infrastructure into a scalable DOOH network.

For property owners, the approach creates a potential new revenue stream. For advertisers, it opens additional place-based inventory that can be purchased as part of broader media campaigns.

Turning Building Infrastructure Into Advertising Inventory

Vertical City operates an elevator media network spanning residential buildings, commercial properties, hotels and other locations across Canada and the United States. Its growth is supported by partnerships with elevator manufacturers, including KONE and MAD Elevator, that allow advertising software to be integrated into displays serving existing building functions.

Those screens are increasingly becoming part of modern elevator systems. They provide emergency communications, floor information and building announcements, creating an opportunity to deliver advertising alongside operational content.

This changes the economics of network expansion. As commercial displays become advertising inventory, media revenue can provide an additional return on existing technology investments rather than serving as the sole justification for installing hardware.

A Different Model for Scaling DOOH

Vertical City’s approach reduces some of the barriers to network expansion by working with elevator manufacturers and property operators. As connected elevator systems are installed or upgraded, additional screens can potentially become part of the advertising network without requiring a separate media-specific hardware deployment.

The company has reached 10,000 screens across North America and expects further expansion through its manufacturer relationships. Its advertising division, Vertical Impression, works with Screenverse to make the inventory available to advertisers planning local and multi-market campaigns.

For DOOH operators, the ability to expand through existing infrastructure could become an alternative to building and owning every screen in a network.

More Places Become Advertising Channels

Elevators are one example of a larger opportunity developing across commercial environments. Retail stores, hotels, office buildings, transportation facilities and entertainment venues already operate digital displays for customer information, navigation, operational communications and other purposes.

As those screens become connected to advertising platforms, they can support commercial messages without abandoning their original functions.

Retail media networks are pursuing a related strategy by turning in-store displays into advertising channels. The difference is that elevator and commercial-building networks extend the model beyond retail environments, creating inventory tied to where people live, work and travel.

For multi-location brands, these environments offer another way to reach consumers in specific geographic markets. Restaurants, retailers, financial services companies and other businesses with physical locations could use building-level advertising to support campaigns around nearby stores or service areas.

Elevator screens may also provide repeated exposure as residents, employees and visitors move through the same buildings. Whether that frequency produces stronger advertising outcomes, however, depends on audience composition, campaign execution and measurement.

Scale Alone Will Not Attract Larger Budgets

Expanding the number of available screens creates inventory, but advertisers need more than a physical footprint to justify investment.

Agencies evaluating place-based media require information about geographic coverage, audience size, exposure frequency and campaign performance. As programmatic DOOH becomes more widely available, consistent inventory definitions and reporting become essential for incorporating screens from different operators into broader media campaigns.

Vertical Impression has taken steps toward more standardized measurement, including a previously announced partnership with Adelaide to bring attention-based metrics into its advertising offering.

Those capabilities could help advertisers assess the quality of exposure within elevator environments. However, the company’s latest expansion announcement does not disclose standardized audience figures, geographic distribution or campaign performance results for the 10,000-screen network.

For multi-location advertisers, the priority is connecting screen exposure to store visits, customer acquisition and sales. That evidence will determine how effectively these networks compete for advertising budgets.

Commercial Displays Become Media Assets

The expansion of advertising into existing commercial displays could change who participates in the DOOH market. Building owners, equipment manufacturers and software providers can generate media revenue from infrastructure originally deployed for other purposes, creating new competition and partnership opportunities for established advertising networks.

Vertical City’s expansion demonstrates how existing commercial displays can support scalable advertising networks. The competitive advantage will come from making that inventory accessible to advertisers, integrating it into established buying platforms and demonstrating measurable business outcomes.