TikTok comes “Out Of Phone” to advertise at airports, gas stations, and movie theaters

TikTok is complementing its digital advertising business with a real-world push. The video app has debuted a product it has dubbed Out Of Phone: An IRL media operation that will distribute vertical videos across locations like airports, gas stations, and movie theaters.

The “Out Of Phone” name is a pun on “out-of-home” advertising, an industry that spans billboards and other physical media. TikTok will launch its out-of-home campaigns in conjunction with a list of location-specific partners. ReachTV will give TikTok a presence on airport screens, GSTV will place it in gas stations, Screenvision will expand its reach to movie theaters, and companies like DIVE Billboards and Adomni will put TikTok videos on outdoor billboards.

Other companies teaming with TikTok as part of the Out Of Phone experience include the music video network Vevo and the distribution service Redbox. The latter of those firms was already partnered with TikTok thanks to a recent deal that brought short-form content to more than 3,000 kiosks.

TikTok plans to vary its Out Of Phone content library depending on the locations where its videos will be shown. The available clips will also be updated regularly to ensure that the ad program stays up to date with TikTok trends.

“With Out of Phone, we’re taking TikTok beyond the palm of our hands and into everyday life,” said TikTok Global Head of Distribution for New Screens Dan Page. “From billboards to restaurants, gas stations to airports, we are on a mission to create endless ways for our community to experience the joy and creativity of TikTok.”

Those IRL placements will live alongside TikTok’s ever-growing array of digital ad products. In 2023, the ByteDance-owned platform has rolled out several brand-facing updates, including Pulse Premiere campaigns for tentpole moments and search ads that will help TikTok keep up with rivals like Google.