We’re entering a new era of media consumption and advertisers need to adapt. For years, standard display and OLV have served as the workhorses of digital advertising, providing scale, flexibility, and measurable results across countless websites and apps. Yet as media consumption continues to evolve, advertisers are shifting their investment toward higher-attention environments like digital audio, rich media display, and Connected TV (CTV). 

All three channels deliver less cluttered ad experiences that align with how consumers engage with content today. At the same time, advances in AI and the saturation of the open web are reducing the effectiveness of standard display and OLV as primary awareness drivers. 

The evolving role of standard display and OLV for awareness

The rise of AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and Gemini allows users to access information more efficiently, reducing the need to browse through multiple websites. As a result, awareness-focused display ads must now break through increasingly crowded page environments, reducing their effectiveness and pressuring advertisers to be more strategic about how they use display at the top of the funnel.

OLV is undergoing a similar shift. While video remains a powerful format for brand storytelling, not all video environments deliver the same level of engagement. As consumption habits change, advertisers are reassessing how and when they use standard OLV for awareness, allocating more of their budgets toward premium platforms where people are more likely to remember the content they watch.

Where standard display and OLV still play a role

Even though standard display has lost effectiveness as an awareness-driving channel, it can still be valuable in middle- and lower-funnel strategies.

  • For retargeting, sequential messaging, and reminder-based tactics. Standard display can efficiently reinforce brand presence, support consideration, and drive action among users already familiar with a brand. In retargeting and reminder campaigns, the goal isn’t introducing the brand to a user or winning them over with resonant storytelling. Instead, it’s frequency, reinforcement, and conversion support, where display remains cost-effective when tightly controlled and thoughtfully deployed.
  • For OLV. Standard outstream placements tend to be low attention and rarely deliver the immersive experiences required for brand impact. So advertisers seeking awareness or consideration should focus on premium video environments like YouTube or Amazon Prime Video, where viewers settle in to watch, ads are highly viewable, and engagement metrics are stronger. The platforms’ fullscreen, brand-safe experiences make them far more effective at reaching viewers who are relaxed and receptive to brand messages.

The case for rich media display

Rich media display remains a powerful option when awareness budgets require visual scale outside of video. Formats such as dynamic creative, expandable units, gamified banners, and interactive carousels venture beyond the parameters of the static banner model. Their capacity to tell stories, invite interaction, and command attention makes them better suited than standard display to establish brand presence. When placed in premium environments, rich media can deliver strong engagement and recall, often at a more efficient CPM than video.

The rise of attention-based channels: CTV and audio

Unlike static or rich media formats, CTV and digital audio are consumed in lean-back, high-attention situations where audiences engage with content one experience at a time. Ads run sequentially, rather than in stacked or cluttered placements, so brands receive fullscreen or full-focus exposure without competing visual noise.

While CPMs for CTV and audio are higher than standard display, advertisers are paying for attention, quality, and brand-safe environments rather than just impression volume. Through DSPs, brands can access premium inventory across Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Paramount+, and iHeartRadio — platforms that are authenticated, logged in, and far less susceptible to fraud or made-for-advertising (MFA) activity. 

The bottom line

Standard display and OLV still play a robust role in digital advertising, but the shift is underway. Brands that reallocate budgets toward attention-driven channels while testing and optimizing their approach will capture market share as competitors continue to rely too heavily on legacy tactics that no longer deliver the same returns.

As user behavior continues to evolve and the open web grows more cluttered, brands must become more strategic about where they build awareness. Premium, attention-driven channels like CTV, digital audio, and rich media display offer what today’s advertisers value most: clarity, quality, and lasting connections that build brand loyalty.

Want to ask a question or learn more? Get in touch with us today.