Cutting Through the Advertising Noise Where We Shop and Move
- Brainz Magazine
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Mike Falkow is the CEO of Meritus Media, a PR and digital marketing agency based in Los Angeles. He is also known for his work as a creative director in former roles at Falkow Creative and Rogue Magazine. He's a published author of the novel Desert Storm, released in 2025, and host of the ProActive Podcast.
For years, we measured advertising by how loud it could shout. Bigger billboards, flashier pre-rolls, more interruptions before we get to the thing we actually want. Audiences learned to scroll, skip, and tune out. But two companies are showing a calmer way forward, one that fits into the rhythm of everyday life instead of fighting it, Terraboost and Motion Icon.
From “look at me” to “I’m here when you need me”
Terraboost places branded wellness kiosks at the exact moments when people are already making decisions, like the entrance to a supermarket, the pharmacy counter, a mall corridor, or the gym. Shoppers grab a sanitizing wipe, see a relevant message in a trusted setting, then walk a few steps to the shelf. It is not an interruption, it is a nudge that meets intent. The company’s retail media network spans supermarkets, drugstores, fitness centers, malls, and airports, giving brands both scale and proximity to purchase.
Motion Icon tackles a different but equally powerful moment, the movement through public spaces. Their specialty is escalator step branding, which turns the vertical risers of an escalator into a continuous canvas. Think of an airport or a busy city mall. Thousands of people ride those steps each day, eyes naturally focused forward. That slow-moving field of vision becomes an elegant medium for brand storytelling, right before the point of purchase or decision.
Why proximity beats interruption
Context changes how a message feels. A wellness reminder at a pharmacy entrance carries more weight than the same message in a pre-roll. A product launch woven into the escalator you are riding to the food court is more likely to be noticed than a banner buried between tabs. Proximity also influences behavior. Terraboost’s kiosks are placed at entrances, exits, and pharmacy waiting areas to stay top of mind at the exact moment a shopper is primed to act.
Escalator branding captures attention through motion and scale. As you ascend, each riser stacks into a unified image that resolves while you ride, which creates memory through anticipation. Brands can use that canvas for bold visuals, phased storytelling, or directional prompts that guide people to a nearby store or activation.
The creative upside
These formats are not just clever placements. They open new creative strategies.
Make utility part of the message. Terraboost’s kiosks dispense free sanitizing wipes, which means the ad provides a simple service that people appreciate. Brands earn attention because they have done something useful, not because they demanded it. That positive association lingers as the shopper moves through the store.
Turn movement into narrative. Escalator steps create a natural beat. Designers can build sequences that unfold as riders move, from teaser panels at the bottom to a reveal at the top. The medium invites playful animation, product storytelling, or even safety messaging that enhances the environment.
Own the last ten yards. Both formats excel at closing the distance between awareness and action. A campaign can run nationally while still feeling local, for example, a brand reinforcing a new product variant at the supermarket door, or a retailer directing airport travelers up the escalator toward a pop-up store near the gate. Terraboost’s network allows national, regional, and hyper-local planning, while Motion Icon scales across malls, airports, and transit hubs.
Proof of momentum
Retail media keeps expanding because brands want measurable influence where intent is high. Terraboost continues to add digital kiosks to its footprint, bringing dynamic creative into the same trusted spaces. The model blends physical utility with digital targeting, which helps campaigns link store-level context with broader audience strategies.
On the escalator side, Motion Icon’s approach has rolled out across multiple regions and venue types, with partners introducing the format into high-traffic malls, airports, exhibition centers, and metro stations. The goal is consistent, reach people in motion right before they make a choice.
What marketers should do now
Start with the path your audience already walks, not with another ad unit that tries to shout over the noise.
Map proximity moments. Identify the exact places your customers pass through on the way to a decision. Pharmacy counters, grocery entrances, gym check-ins, airport concourses, and mall escalators are all high-intent touchpoints.
Design for flow. Build a creative that feels like it belongs in the space. For kiosks, emphasize clarity and helpfulness. For escalators, play with sequence and movement.
A gentler kind of breakthrough in advertising
The old model of attention treated people like targets. The emerging model treats them like participants in a shared space. Terraboost and Motion Icon are not trying to outshout anyone. They are putting brand messages where they naturally fit, in places we already trust and notice. That is why a simple wipe at the door or a story on the steps can outperform a flashy pre-roll. It is advertising that respects the moment, and in doing so, it earns the right to be seen.
If you are rethinking your media mix for the year ahead, consider moving closer to where choices happen. Bring the message to the aisle, the pharmacy, the mall corridor, or the airport escalator. Let the environment carry the message. The surprise is how often people welcome it when it meets them where they already are.
For more information on Terraboost, reach out here.
For more information on Motion Icon, reach out here.
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!
Read more from Mike Falkow
Mike Falkow, Strategist, Creative Director, and Writer
Mike Falkow is the CEO of Meritus Media, a PR and digital marketing agency in Los Angeles. He helps founders and brands turn expertise into coverage, thought leadership, and measurable growth. Previously a creative director at Falkow Creative and Rogue Magazine, he is the author of the 2025 novel Desert Storm and host of the ProActive Podcast.
