Sign in Subscribe
DOOH

Adform launches DOOH planner with inventory visualization

Omnichannel DSP introduces map-based interface for digital out-of-home campaign planning across 15 markets.

Luis Rijo

• 6 min read
Digital billboard displays Adform's DOOH visual planning interface launch announcement in urban nighttime setting
Digital billboard displays Adform's DOOH visual planning interface launch announcement in urban nighttime setting

Adform announced on June 12, 2025, the launch of its Digital-Out-of-Home (DOOH) planner within Adform FLOW. The tool initially covers 15 markets and integrates DOOH performance with omnichannel media purchases through a unified platform approach, featuring an inventory discovery interface with screen location visualization.

The Copenhagen-based media buying platform positions this development as addressing the growing demand for unified omnichannel advertising solutions. According to forecasts cited in the announcement, global DOOH spend will reach more than £14 billion ($19 billion) in 2025 and exceed £18 billion ($25 billion) by 2029. Adform reported that its clients expanded DOOH spending by 118% year-on-year in Q1 2025.

Summary

Who: Adform, a Copenhagen-based media buying platform, launched a new DOOH planner with inventory visualization capabilities. Key executives include Oliver Whitten, Chief Operating Officer, who commented on the strategic importance of the launch.

What: The company introduced a DOOH planner with inventory discovery capabilities within Adform FLOW. The tool provides a visual map-based interface for planning DOOH campaigns, integrating screen location data with omnichannel media planning capabilities.

When: The announcement was made on June 12, 2025, with initial rollout across 15 markets. The development comes after Adform clients expanded DOOH spending by 118% year-on-year in Q1 2025.

Where: The tool initially launches across 15 markets globally, with partnerships including Broadsign, Ströer, Hivestack, and VIOOH providing inventory access. Adform operates from Copenhagen, Denmark, with the announcement made from London, UK.

Why: The launch addresses growing demand for unified omnichannel advertising solutions as DOOH spending is forecast to reach £14 billion ($19 billion) in 2025. The platform aims to solve operational inefficiencies by integrating DOOH planning within existing campaign management workflows rather than requiring separate tools and processes.

PPC Land Newsletter

Get the PPC Land newsletter ✉️ for more like this

Subscribe

Technical implementation centers on visual mapping

The new solution transforms DOOH planning through sophisticated inventory targeting capabilities and dedicated reporting functionality. Screen information displays directly on the map interface, enabling segmentation based on venue data, proximity measurements, and demographic insights. This geographic approach allows advertisers to connect DOOH data with information from other advertising channels within the same platform.

Adform has expanded its partnership with data provider Adsquare to offer enhanced granularity and forecasting abilities through the visual interface. The integration enables campaign optimization based on real-time weather conditions, local events, and dayparting strategies. Adsquare previously partnered with Vistar Media to extend audience targeting into programmatic DOOH in the UK, demonstrating the data provider's growing focus on location-based advertising capabilities.

The platform's technical architecture leverages Adform's existing DSP data combined with partnerships spanning more than five leading supply-side platforms and DOOH media owners. Partner integrations include Broadsign, Ströer, Hivestack, and VIOOH, offering what Adform describes as clear oversight for turnkey omnichannel activation within one end-to-end platform.

This launch occurs during a period of significant transformation in the programmatic advertising landscape. Microsoft recently announced plans to discontinue its Xandr DSP platform by February 28, 2026, citing a shift toward AI-driven advertising solutions. The decision removes a major player from the DSP market and may create opportunities for remaining platforms like Adform to capture displaced demand.

The DOOH sector has witnessed considerable consolidation activity in recent months. Bauer Media completed its acquisition of Clear Channel Europe-North for $625 million in April 2025, adding 110,000 advertising sites across 12 European countries. Meanwhile, Perion Network acquired Hivestack for $100 million in cash plus performance-based payments, highlighting the strategic value placed on DOOH technology platforms.

Several major players have introduced new capabilities to strengthen their DOOH offerings. ECN and VIOOH announced a partnership in January 2025 adding 870 screens across premium European office locations, while Hivestack previously launched Hivestack Curate, enabling buyers to customize inventory sourcing and build strategic deals.

Industry commentary highlights streamlined workflows

Oliver Dragic, Managing Director at Pilot, emphasized the importance of high-impact channels for real-world engagement. "Among the high-impact channels enabling real-world engagement, DOOH stands out. Adform's map-based interface simplifies DOOH planning by cutting through complexity and offering a streamlined workflow across channels. This clarity turns DOOH into a measurable lever within integrated omnichannel strategies that include CTV, Audio, and Display," Dragic stated.

Oliver Whitten, Chief Operating Officer at Adform, positioned the development within broader market trends. "As the omnichannel opportunity continues to expand at lightning speed, DOOH has been a key growth story in the first half of 2025. Unifying audience engagement on DOOH with advertisers' other media buys, Adform is helping to deliver more connected and impactful campaigns across channels." Whitten commented.

Regulatory and technical requirements drive standardization

The timing of Adform's launch coincides with increased regulatory focus on DOOH advertising standards. Google announced new requirements for Connected TV and DOOH inventory in March 2025, giving publishers until May 1, 2025, to comply with enhanced standards for ad monetization. These requirements include mandatory session ID parameters for frequency capping purposes and specific technical implementations for programmatic monetization.

The regulatory push toward standardization may benefit established players like Adform that can demonstrate compliance with emerging technical requirements. Google's documentation explicitly states that certain parameters are "required for programmatic monetization in digital out-of-home," creating barriers for smaller technology providers that lack resources to implement complex compliance measures.

Broader industry context reveals competitive dynamics

Recent developments in connected television and video advertising platforms provide additional context for Adform's strategic positioning. FreeWheel unified its CTV product ecosystem in April 2025 with new suite names and enhanced capabilities, while RTL AdAlliance introduced AdManager for European video campaigns in March 2025.

The competitive landscape extends beyond traditional DSP providers to include emerging platforms targeting specific audience segments. Amazon expanded in-store advertising with digital signage in Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh stores, demonstrating how retail media networks are expanding into DOOH-adjacent formats.

Technology companies are also entering the space through innovative approaches. Meta's smart glasses developmentraises questions about future DOOH targeting capabilities through real-world visual data collection, potentially creating new targeting possibilities for outdoor advertising campaigns.

Market implications for programmatic advertising

The announcement reflects broader shifts in programmatic advertising toward unified platform approaches rather than point solutions. Advertisers increasingly demand integrated capabilities that span multiple channels while providing consistent measurement and optimization tools. This trend has been accelerated by the complexity of managing campaigns across disparate platforms and the need for holistic performance attribution.

The integration of DOOH into omnichannel DSP platforms represents a maturation of the out-of-home advertising sector. Previously, DOOH campaigns often required separate planning tools and buying processes, creating operational inefficiencies for advertisers seeking to coordinate messaging across channels. Adform's approach addresses these challenges by bringing DOOH planning within existing campaign management workflows.

The visual map-based interface may provide competitive advantages in attracting advertisers who prioritize operational efficiency. The company's partnership strategy with multiple SSPs and media owners creates extensive inventory access while maintaining platform neutrality, potentially appealing to advertisers concerned about vendor lock-in scenarios.

The 15-market initial rollout indicates a measured expansion approach that allows for refinement based on early feedback before broader geographic deployment. This strategy mirrors successful platform launches in other advertising technology sectors where controlled releases enable optimization before scale-up phases.

Timeline

Stories like this, in your inbox

Enter your email
Subscribe