How to Win Memorial Day Weekend with Your DOOH
Because your brand deserves more than a cameo between burgers and bug spray.
Memorial Day weekend isn’t just the unofficial start of summer, it’s one of the biggest shopping and travel weekends of the year. For brands in food, beverage, home goods, retail, and travel, it’s a prime chance to cut through the noise and connect with people in motion.
Forget crowded inboxes. This is the moment for big screens, bold visuals, and real-world engagement. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) lets you reach people while they’re out living.
Why DOOH Wins on Memorial Day
While traditional OOH stays static, DOOH moves with your audience. It’s data-driven, flexible, and contextually aware letting you show different messages by location, time, or even weather conditions.
Memorial Day is tailor-made for dynamic screens: think digital billboards, transit displays, retail signage, and interactive installations. They all meet people outside, celebrating, commuting, and spending.
Insights: The Audience Is Out There
- 57% of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate Memorial Day weekend.
- 95% of them intend to spend
- Bug spray sales rise 130%, pool gear by 103%, and grills by 63% in the lead-up to the holiday.
For brands in home goods, food and beverage, and seasonal retail, an ad campaign seems almost mandatory.
Where’s the Footfall? Everywhere.
According to Coresight Research:
- 30% will be dining out
- 21% will hit physical stores
- 17% will still shop online—but likely while standing in line somewhere
In other words, your audience is in motion. This is where DOOH dominates. Billboards, parking lot screens, and retail signage capture people while they’re making buying decisions, not just thinking about them.
With footfall measurement and real-time targeting, you can see how exposure to your ads drives visits and purchases—then optimize accordingly.
Start Early: Shoppers Already Have
Most brands wait for the weekend. Smart ones don’t.
Search and sales data show that consumers begin Memorial Day shopping up to 10 days before. That means your campaign should launch the Monday before the holiday to catch early planners looking for deals, gear, and getaways.
DOOH gives you the flexibility to ramp up spend gradually, focusing on the days when people are actively shopping. This way, your ads hit while decisions and wallets are open.
Rotate Your Creative Like the Pros Do
Here’s a DOOH advantage that way too many brands ignore: you can change your message in real time. And you should.
What works Friday afternoon isn’t what works Monday morning.
Friday–Sunday:
Play up party prep, weekend-only deals, last-minute essentials.
Think: “Don’t forget the grill tongs” or “Stock up before Monday.”
Memorial Day (Monday):
Shift the tone. Focus on nostalgia, reflection, or post-party recovery.
Think: “One more burger won’t hurt” or “Your backyard deserves an upgrade.”
Rotating your creative keeps your message fresh and shows people that you’re actually paying attention, not just recycling one ad all weekend.
For more tips like this, be sure and check out our Beginner’s Guide to DOOH here.
Make the Creative Count
Memorial Day is about emotion and energy, your visuals should reflect that.
Think summer: bright colors, movement, outdoor imagery, and humor. Whether it’s pool floats or smoky grills, create instant sensory connections that scream long weekend.
With DOOH, you can also adapt visuals by location or audience data, so your ad near a grocery store looks different from one on the highway.
Flex Your Dynamic Muscle
DOOH lets you adapt in real time. Use it. Countdown clocks, limited-time sales, or weather-specific messaging (“It’s 86°- perfect day for a patio set”) are way more effective than static branding.
Make It Easy to Act
DOOH might drive awareness, but it shouldn’t stop there.
Add a QR code. A simple short link. Even a “Next exit for deals” CTA. Turn that glance into a click, or better yet, a purchase.
So go ahead and fire up your DOOH ad campaign for Memorial Day. Start early. Rotate often. Show up where it counts.
