Havas and inDrive partner for safety-focused OOH campaign

Havas Group and ride-hailing app, inDrive, have released the results of an out of home campaign in Egypt, featuring light-up billboards installed in strategic locations. The billboards not only served as advertising for inDrive’s services, but transformed the surrounding area – previously dimly-lit locations became well-lit pick-up points where users could wait for their rides to arrive. The billboards were rolled out in Egyptian cities to address ongoing safety concerns. 

To quantify the impact of the billboard campaign, inDrive commissioned two surveys of Egyptians, one before the campaign and one after. The results show that the campaign had a positive impact on public wellbeing, public comfort and the perception of public safety, supporting the idea that billboards can do more than just advertise.

In the pre-campaign survey, 45.3 per cent of those questioned said that they feel “uncomfortable” waiting in unlit areas of the city at night, while 29.4 per cent of respondents said they felt “scared” waiting in unlit areas of the city at night

In the post-campaign survey, 95.4 per cent of respondents felt at least “somewhat comfortable” waiting for their car in locations where the illuminated billboards had been installed. And 45.3 per cent of respondents expressed a strong interest in having more illuminated billboards installed in their areas.

The experiment now opens the way for industry wide discussion of the importance of balancing positive social impact with business goals via advertising campaigns.

“By working together, we can create a safer environment for everyone,” said Vlad Revenko, Head of Special Projects at inDrive. “We urge other ride-hailing companies to join us in our commitment to improving safety in urban areas, as well as providing a better customer experience.”