Outdoor advertising has evolved from simple inscriptions to sophisticated digitized versions. "The incarnations are limited only by the innovator's imagination"believes Deepak. In a way, advertising began around 3200 BC in the outdoor form, when the Egyptians stenciled inscriptions of the names of kings on temples being built. Later, they wrote runaway-slave announcements on papyrus and carved sales messages chiseled on stone tablets, which were then placed on public roadways.

Way back in 3,000 BC, the Babylonians, who lived in what is now Iraq, also used such signs to advertise their shops. Since not many people could read, merchants used symbols carved in stone, clay or wood to communicate. For example, a bush indicated a wine shop, and a boot was used for a shoemaker's shop. Many historians believe that outdoor signs above shop doors were the first form of advertising. It is known that signboards were placed outside doors in Greece and Egypt around 1500 BC. The development of paper and the printing press made billposting possible in Europe after 1500 BC. Lithography, a printing method developed in the 19th century, widened the creative methods of advertising design.

The term "billboard" came from posting "bills" on wooden boards in the late 19th century. Hoardings started being used extensively for commercial purposes and were so on dotting roads, motorways and buildings all over the world. Outdoor advertising became generic for traditional outdoor signage called billboards. Gradually, outdoor advertising became more and more sophisticated. The recently developed digital printing has greatly enhanced the quality of outdoor ads. The latest technology printers are widely available in India. The costs of the digital print vary according to the type of ink, media and technology used.

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