Argentina. Since its premiere on April 30, El Eternauta has become a global phenomenon. The Argentine series, based on the iconic comic strip by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and directed by Bruno Stagnaro, has reached the top spot in the Netflix ranking in 87 countries, including Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Germany, India and the United States. With more than 10.8 million views in its first week, it is positioned as the most watched non-English language series worldwide.
This Latin American blockbuster stands out for its powerful narrative, solid performances and a technical production that rivals the great international series. However, one of the most unique and effective elements of the series is the use of the Out of Home (OOH) medium as an integral part of its setting.
Throughout the series, more than 50 real brands are integrated into various outdoor advertising formats, such as posters, digital screens and street furniture. Far from being a mere set, these elements contribute to building a recognizable and authentic Buenos Aires, even in the midst of the apocalyptic chaos posed by the plot.
The OOH in *El Eternauta* not only brings realism: it acts as a visual language that reinforces urban identity and the culture of the everyday. It transforms the usually inert or generic landscapes of many TV fictions into living, familiar spaces, which could be "the corner of my house" for any viewer. This use of the OOH elevates it to a symbolic dimension: as an urban trace of what was, as a sign of what remains. What remains. What resists. What he communicates without speaking.
In a fictional context where cities become scenarios of resistance and survival, outdoor advertising is not only not diluted: it stands out without interrupting, it is integrated without straining the story. It becomes a silent testimony to the urban and commercial life that precedes the catastrophe. *El Eternauta* demonstrates that the OOH, far from becoming invisible, can be a discreet protagonist that brings narrative depth, visual authenticity and, above all, a powerful emotional connection with shared urban culture.
Without interrupting or straining attention as happens in digital media, with a presence that generates a subtle visual noise that is impossible to ignore, record and remember. It is not interruption or distraction, but rather integration with the everyday urban moment where the audience feels like the protagonist of "the local".
From our position in the industry, *El Eternauta* invites us to look at ourselves in that mirror. OOH is more current, active and present than ever. Its value lies not only in the coverage or visual impact, but in its ability to integrate organically into everyday life. To communicate from identity, merging with the local urban culture. To be part of the environment without forcing s
or presence, to generate visual noise, but without distorting or abusing the resource. On the contrary, flaunting hierarchy and solemn presence that is impossible to ignore. Brands that understand this logic – as the filmmakers of the series understood it – have an enormous opportunity today: to approach audiences from a genuine, forceful and culturally resonant place and generate a lasting impact, because it is not only visual impact or visual interruption at any cost. It is an emotional, cultural and identity connection and that image is worth a thousand words.
And although the figures and projections that we have been analyzing at ALOOH show a positive outlook of sustained growth for Out of Home advertising in Latin America, what *El Eternauta* leaves us with is something different: it is a signal, a powerful wink, a cultural endorsement issued by the mass audience.
It is the confirmation that the OOH not only works – but also excites – when it is well integrated, when it is a living part of the story, of the city and of the people. This type of validation, which arises from culture and not from cold market figures, comes from the street and not from big data, it is perhaps one of the most powerful impulses that an industry like ours can receive at this time.
And if this impulse also finds us with technology, intelligent formats and connected digital management, it is no coincidence: it is a sign of the times. OOH is not only still in force. Evolves.
Text written by Luis M Gonzalez Lentijo – CEO of CityScreenLatam, a member company of the Latin American Chamber of Out of Home.
