Mitsubishi Motors: Revving up results with programmatic OOH

The Challenge

After expanding its Canadian dealer network, Mitsubishi Motors set out to increase awareness and interest in key vehicle models across both new and existing markets. With a growing footprint and bold goals, the brand needed a new, scalable strategy to reach drivers where they live, work and make decisions.

To meet this challenge, Mitsubishi partnered with creative agency Jan Kelley and programmatic OOH expert Vistar Media to launch real-world campaigns with some of the best OOH ads that could adapt to geography, seasonality and audience behavior—all while delivering measurable outcomes.

The Solution

A multi-layered approach to national awareness

Mitsubishi’s campaign strategy was built on four core pillars: point-of-interest (POI) targeting, custom audiences, creative adaptation and performance measurement. Together, these elements created a cohesive framework that allowed Mitsubishi to scale its presence while keeping each campaign relevant and personalized.

Strategic presence in every nook

Mitsubishi deployed DOOH placements in 96 cities across Canada—ranging from vibrant urban hubs to smaller, regional markets. The brand embraced bilingual messaging with creative served in both English and French, working with 42 different media owner networks to ensure a truly national presence.

Screens were placed in high-visibility, high-dwell locations such as:

• Colleges and universities
  
  
• Bars and casual dining
  
  
• Movie theaters
  
  
• Fitness centers
  
  
• Community spaces
  
  

This variety of environments allowed Mitsubishi to maintain high frequency and relevance across a wide range of consumer touchpoints.

Precision in motion

To support local dealers and reach high-intent shoppers, Mitsubishi used custom POI targeting to surround every Canadian dealership within a 5 to 7km radius. This ensured balanced media spend and high coverage near retail locations.

In addition, 30% of the campaign budget was allocated to audience-based targeting, leveraging Environics Analytics data segments to identify and engage specific consumer profiles. The result was a layered approach that combined proximity, behavior and timing to optimize for impact.

Elevated creativity for seasonal connection

Each campaign focused on Mitsubishi’s key models, including the Highlander and Outlander, using seasonally relevant creative to drive emotional connection.

Creative assets evolved from winter-focused imagery to spring and summer scenes in Q2, maintaining resonance with audiences and reflecting changes in lifestyle and driving conditions. This flexible, adaptive approach was made possible by DOOH’s creative agility and Vistar’s platform tools.

Measurement that fuels momentum

Mitsubishi committed to ongoing performance analysis, investing in opportunity-to-see (OTS) studies and brand lift research across all four campaigns. This allowed the brand to track progress throughout the funnel, including:

• Awareness
  
  
• Consideration
  
  
• Purchase intent
  
  

These learnings didn’t just validate success—they informed future planning. As a result of strong performance, Mitsubishi increased its investment in DOOH each quarter, reinforcing programmatic out-of-home as a key part of its marketing mix.

The Results

Significant brand lift across every campaign

In a competitive and complex landscape, Mitsubishi’s commitment to audience targeting, creative relevance and data-backed decision-making paid off. The campaigns achieved:

• +20% lift in awareness
  
  
• +100% increase in product consideration
  
  
• +135% boost in purchase intent
  
  

These results underscore the power of DOOH—not just for visibility, but for driving tangible interest and behavior change at scale.

The takeaway

Mitsubishi’s multi-phase campaign proves that programmatic OOH isn’t just a top-of-funnel awareness tool—it’s a performance driver when paired with audience insights, localized strategy and flexible creative.

By working with Vistar Media and Jan Kelley, Mitsubishi was able to:

• Activate across 96 cities with precise control
  
  
• Target audiences contextually and behaviorally
  
  
• Adapt creative based on season and region
  
  
• Track results in real time and build on success
  
  

The success of these campaigns has cemented DOOH as a key channel in Mitsubishi’s Canadian marketing strategy—and provided a roadmap for future national rollouts.

Want to scale your reach and drive results like Mitsubishi?

Whether you're expanding your footprint or engaging loyal buyers in new ways, Vistar Media can help you activate DOOH campaigns that are measurable, flexible and built to perform. Get in touch today to explore how we can support your next success story.