How we provide live proof for your outdoor campaign

Campaign proof should tell you whether every booked site carried the right creative, when it went live and whether it stayed in good condition. One installation photo cannot answer all of that. We build a dated record from launch through the campaign, with each update tied to the site it covers.

Agree the proof plan before the campaign starts

Proof works best when it is part of the booking, not a favour requested after mounting. The campaign schedule should identify each site, its address or coordinates, the approved creative, the booked dates and the evidence expected. It should also state when launch proof is due, which day weekly checks will happen and who receives the updates.

Different formats need different evidence. A printed hoarding needs site photographs. An illuminated site also needs a night check. A digital screen needs playback records. Transit media needs a visible vehicle or unit number as well as the location of the check.

Build a launch record for every booked site

As soon as a site is installed, we attach its proof to the campaign timeline. A useful launch update includes the campaign and site reference, capture time, coordinates, status note and the original photographs. The images have separate jobs:

• An installation view shows the full face and confirms that the creative was mounted properly.
• An approach view shows the road, surroundings and sightline, so the site can be matched to the booked location.
• A close view confirms the approved creative, readable copy, print condition and any date sensitive offer.

This follows established OOH photography practice. The photographs should show the correct copy, correct location and installation quality as the intended audience would actually see them. A flattering crop without road context is not enough. Proof volume and delivery timing should be agreed in advance.

Send weekly proof while the campaign is live

Launch proof confirms that a campaign started. Weekly monitoring confirms that it continues to run. During the booked period, we add a fresh update for each live site every week. Where practical, the field team repeats the same approach view so the current condition is easy to compare with launch day.

The check looks for a missing or changed creative, tears, peeling, loose edges, blocked sightlines, damage to the structure and failed lighting. The update records the date, location and current status. A longer campaign therefore produces a sequence of evidence, not a folder of unrelated photographs sent at the end.

Use geo tags as one layer of evidence

A geo tag helps confirm that the photographer was near the booked site. It is not conclusive on its own. Phone GPS can drift near flyovers or dense buildings, photo metadata can disappear when a file is forwarded, and metadata can be edited.

We compare the captured coordinates with the booked site and check visible landmarks in the approach photograph. We keep the original file, record when the update reached the campaign timeline and note any location discrepancy instead of silently changing it. For campaigns that need a stricter audit, capture through a controlled field app, a server recorded time or an independent verification visit can add another layer.

Use playback evidence for digital screens

A photograph only proves that a digital creative appeared for one moment. Delivery is better checked with proof of play from the screen or media player. The log should connect the screen, creative and campaign to dated play records, including the number and duration of plays where the system provides them. A field photograph or live camera check still helps confirm that the physical screen was working and visible.

Industry guidance also recognises third party review of player logs or external camera records when an advertiser needs more assurance. The proof method should match the value and risk of the campaign.

Record problems and their resolution

A credible timeline does not hide a failed check. If a flex is damaged, a light is out or the wrong creative is found, the update should record when the problem was seen, what action was assigned and when the corrected site was verified. A replacement photo closes the issue. Any lost display time and the agreed remedy should appear in the final account.

Close with one campaign record

At the end, the advertiser should be able to review each booked site, its launch proof, weekly checks, exceptions and resolutions in one place. Digital play logs and independent verification records belong in the same campaign file where relevant. This proves delivery. Audience estimates, reach and business results are separate measurements and should not be presented as proof that the media was live.

What you receive from Baba Media Group

Once an accepted quotation becomes a campaign, you can follow it on a shareable timeline. We post progress from printing and installation through the live period and completion. Each site receives launch evidence, followed by weekly live site updates during the booked run. The record can include geo tagged photographs, capture details, comments and, for supported digital media, playback or verification partner evidence.

Before you approve a plan, ask us to set out the proof schedule alongside the sites and dates. That gives your marketing and finance teams a clear delivery standard before work begins. For the full execution sequence, read how to run an outdoor campaign step by step.

Sources: Out of Home Advertising Association of America, Photography Best Practices for OOH; IAB, Digital Out of Home document on proof of play; IAB, Digital Out of Home measurement guidance.