Luxury brands are embracing Out-Of-Home and travel retail to connect with affluent consumers through impactful, high-traffic placements.
The luxury sector continues to show resilience, even amid global market uncertainty. While spending for some premium categories has decreased, both travel retail and out-of-home (OOH) advertising are emerging as important channels of growth for luxury brands that are looking to connect with affluent and high-value consumers.
According to Vivvix ad spend analysis, luxury brand investment in OOH has nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023, highlighting the medium’s growing strategic importance. Among just 17 leading luxury advertisers – the likes of whom include Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Dior, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton – 2023 levels of investment in OOH reached its highest level since 2019. Data from the first half of 2025 indicates continued momentum across the category.
Data from Media Radar further supports this trend, as OOH’s share of luxury ad spend rose to 7.5%, compared to 7% from the previous year.
OOH has a clear impact on the luxury industry. According to findings from OAAA and The Harris Poll, luxury apparel ads reached nearly half of all U.S. adults (47%), with even higher engagement among Millennials (59%), Gen Z (64%), and the urban audiences (61%).
Even more interesting is that 86% of luxury OOH ad viewers took an action after seeing such an ad, such as visiting a brand’s website (49%), watching product reviews om items from the brand social media (33%), and purchasing a product from the luxury brand either online (25%) or at a retail location (24%).
According to Lagardère Travel Retail’s Executive Vice President of Fashion Nathalie Santonja, airports remain a dynamic environment and “present opportunities to engage international travelers through tailored experiences, exclusive collections and highly visual store concepts.” This same dynamic, which involves capturing attention through creativity and context, has been fueling OOH’s rise in luxury brand marketing.
There is a reason behind the luxury goods industry’s increased alignment with travel environments. As affluent customers travel more, luxury brands are reinvesting in both airport-retail and airport-based retail media to enhance brand desirability at every possible touchpoint.
Los Angeles International Airport
The duty-free channel is increasingly being seen as an extension of the ecosystem created by luxury brands. As Santonja observes, accessories, sunglasses, jewelry, and watches all remain strong-performing categories, and tend to rely on OOH and airport advertising media to drive consumer awareness before purchase.
High-profile airports like Los Angeles International airport, as well as those in Europe, including Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, and London Heathrow, are expanding their luxury offerings and using OOH storytelling to guide customers directly into luxury retail spaces.
When paired with duty-free environments, OOH reinforces the key values of exclusivity and immediacy, which resonate deeply with affluent travelers, prompting them to spend even more than they usually would. Whether through digital OOH campaigns promoting airport-exclusive editions or in-terminal experiential activations that combine social media relevance with real-world presence, OOH is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between brand aspiration and consumer action.
Today’s luxury consumers are seeking authenticity, transparency, and personal relevance. All of these are qualities delivered by OOH through creative and culturally pertinent storytelling. For marketers, this means that OOH is no longer just about scale and reach, but rather, aligning with the experiences of their audience.
As Santonja summarizes, “Success ultimately depends on agility – ensuring assortments and concepts are always relevant and consistent with traveler expectations.” The same idea applies to luxury OOH: flexibility, exclusivity, and relevant advertising will continue to drive its growth as brands seek to attract luxury travelers and global audiences alike.
