R. Kumar Opticians: A clear lens on airport media

For R. Kumar Opticians, a brand built over six decades, outdoor is not about constant visibility. It is about recall, relevance, and choosing the right moment. 

At its core, the brand approaches OOH through different creative lenses. “We have product-led communication, styling-led campaigns, utility-led messaging, and then pure brand building,” says Amman Anup Kumar. Each serves a different purpose, from driving transactions to building long-term memory. 

Not every idea fits every medium. While hoardings work for product and styling campaigns, larger narratives move to video-led environments. “We have to create a space in the mindscape of people. That’s the only reason someone comes back after 60–70 years.” 

That distinction becomes clearer when looking at performance across formats. Airports, for instance, consistently deliver. “I’ve had vendors land in Ahmedabad, see our ad at the baggage belt, and come back saying they want to work only with us,” he says. The reason is simple, time and attention. In contrast, city roads operate very differently. “In traffic, people are either on their phones or focused on getting somewhere. Their attention is not on hoardings.” 

This gap becomes even more visible in digital OOH. While the format has grown in larger metros, Ahmedabad presents a different reality. “We were early adopters… but I never got a single recall,” Amman says. From poorly maintained screens to inconsistent operations, the medium struggles to deliver impact. “Go and check the screens, you’ll always find something not working properly.” 

Measurement remains another challenge. “There is no objective measurement,” he notes, with effectiveness often judged through recall and customer response rather than data. At the same time, cost structures add another layer of complexity. “For a medium where I don’t have measurability, the additional costs become a dampener.” 

Overlay this with a city in transition, changing routes, ongoing infrastructure work, and shifting traffic patterns, and predictability becomes harder. Only certain corridors continue to offer consistency. 

And yet, OOH stays in the mix. 

Not as a default, but as a selective choice. Because when the format is right, the location is right, and the creative works, outdoor still delivers what it always has, presence and recall.