Excellence Award at Digital Signage Award 2026: A Scientific Experiment on OOH 'Quality' Reveals the Next-Generation Advertising Metric Centered on Attention

On June 10, 2026, the award ceremony for the 'Digital Signage Award 2026,' hosted by the Digital Signage Consortium (DSC), was held, and the experimental study titled 'Comparative Verification Experiment on Advertising Attention and Memory Retention Rates by OOH Environment' received the Excellence Award.

※ Digital Signage Award 2026 Award-Winning Project Introduction Page

This project was conducted by Osaka Metro AdEra and Perion Japan with the cooperation of Esteé Co., Ltd. It represents a pioneering research initiative that redefines traditional advertising evaluation metrics—centered on 'impressions' (number of displays), a 'quantity'-based indicator—into a 'quality'-based metric focused on 'attention,' measuring how much consumers actually view ads and how deeply brands are memorized.

The study was highly praised for quantifying the global advertising trend of shifting toward 'quality evaluation' within Japan's unique media landscape. The presentation of 'practical insights' directly linked to advertisers' return on investment (ROI) was recognized as a crucial catalyst for revitalizing the market.

● Experimental Design: VR and AI Deciphering 'Visual Experience'

To replicate real-world noise and consumer movement patterns, this experiment integrates environmental simulation in VR space with cutting-edge AI analysis (based on Vision Transformer).

Test Environments (4 Cases)

Station Interiors: Dynamic visual contact during walking

Train Interiors: Longer dwell time with higher cognitive availability

Outdoor Large-Screen Displays: Public spaces with mixed walking and lingering

Living Room TV: Private viewing environment within homes

Analysis Targets

30 videos in total, including those created by humans and those generated by generative AI

AI image analysis conducted across a total of 31,500 frames

● Key Data Analysis Results

The analysis revealed truths about media effectiveness that cannot be captured by 'quantity'-based impressions alone.

· Positive Correlation Between Metrics: The Value of APM as a Leading Indicator

An extremely high positive correlation (r = 0.45 to 0.88) was confirmed between 'APM'—total attention seconds per 1,000 impressions—and memory retention rate. This demonstrates that maximizing APM serves as a KPI for enhancing brand recall.

· Divergence in Optimal Creative by Viewing Environment

It was found that creatives performing well in one environment do not necessarily yield the same results in another.

Example: Content that achieved high attention in TV environments did not perform effectively in OOH environments.

Difference by Production Method: Human-created videos showed superiority in TV environments, while AI-generated content demonstrated a tendency to attract attention in outdoor displays due to its 'visibility within the landscape.'

· Strategic Importance of Initial Engagement (First Second): Instant Recognition

In outdoor and train environments, the first-second hook significantly influences overall viewing duration. In contrast, station interiors showed a negative correlation (r = -0.27). This indicates that in walking environments, 'one-shot branding'—enabling brand recognition within 1–2 seconds—is essential, rather than 'engaging slowly' with prolonged hooks.

[Winner's Comment] Advertiser: Esteé Publicity Officer

'We are deeply honored that the verification experiment we participated in has received this prestigious award. We believe this recognition validates the legitimacy of 'attention' and 'memory' as quality-based evaluation metrics, which we have long considered critical. Understanding how brands like 'Mushuda' and 'Sho-shu-ryoku' attract different gazes in private spaces like TV versus public spaces like stations and trains—and visualizing the differences based on media-creative relationships through comparative analysis of generative AI-created content and traditionally human-made content—has been an immensely valuable insight for us as publicity professionals. We hope that the evaluation methods and metrics used in this study will be standardized across the industry, enabling advertising communication that evolves beyond mere exposure accumulation to become more consumer-centric.'

The results of this experiment will strongly support industry-wide standardization as empirical data for DSC's publicly released 'OOH Attention Measurement Guidelines (Draft).'

※ The 'OOH Attention Measurement Guidelines (Draft)' is currently open for public comment on the DSC website.
DSC Press Release URL: https://digital-signage.jp/press-release/47826/

[Inquiries Regarding This Matter]
Osaka Metro AdEra Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Office: Arai (080-7601-4252)
Inquiry: https://osakametro-adera.jp/contact