When an ad creative is submitted, the AI Assistant automatically evaluates key factors such as aspect ratio, resolution, and the presence of restricted content. Photo courtesy Broadsign
Montreal, Que.—Broadsign introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to automate ad creative categorization and approval within its out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform. It unveiled the Broadsign AI Assistant at its annual Broadsign Connect summit in Barcelona to help media owners spend less time manually reviewing programmatic ad submissions. The feature will launch in the second quarter of 2025.
A first for the OOH industry, the patent-pending AI tool analyzes incoming ad creatives and suggests classifications based on each media owner’s inventory taxonomy. It also flags potential issues—such as sensitive content near schools or political ads placed too close to polling locations. Media owners can approve, reject, or escalate flagged ads for further review.
“As ad spend in programmatic OOH grows, media owners are processing a high volume of creative, much of which won’t win the bid but still requires review,” says François Hechme, Broadsign’s vice president of products. “The Broadsign AI Assistant can process and categorize vast volumes of creative simultaneously to help teams keep up with programmatic demand, so they can spend more time building and nurturing media buyer relationships and improving reporting.”
How it works
The AI Assistant automatically evaluates key factors such as aspect ratio, resolution, and restricted content. It also scans for objects that help determine the correct category—such as a car in an automotive ad—and cross-references the media owner’s existing taxonomy. The system then emails media owners with category and approval recommendations, allowing them to act quickly.
By automating this process, Broadsign aims to minimize common misclassification errors and improve brand safety. For example, the tool can flag an alcohol ad scheduled to run near a school or identify an election-related ad that violates local regulations.
“The manual process ties up hours evaluating creative that may not even win the bid,” Hechme adds. “By automating OOH categorization and approval, we’re helping media owners focus on higher-value tasks while maintaining control over their ad screening process.”
