When it's late at night, and women are alone at bus stops, only one thing keeps them company: the ad from the Bus Stop Billboard. And research shows most women don't feel safe being alone in this situation. That's why Eletromidia – Brazil’s Biggest OOH Media Company - gave this media vehicle an important new role. Now, in addition to displaying advertisements, Eletromidia's Digital Bus Stop Billboards can also help women who, for some reason, need to be alone at bus stops. Using technology, our billboards that once only displayed ads, now also deliver companionship and protection.

Waiting for a bus, at night, in Brazil's big cities, can be scary for anyone, especially women. According to surveys, 77% of women feel unsafe at bus stops and more than 68% of them are afraid to go out alone at night. But at these times, the only thing that keeps them company is an advert from a Bus Stop Billboard. Eletromidia is the largest OOH media company in Brazil, with over 70 thousand digital and static displays in the largest cities in the country, especially at bus stops. Sensitive to current issues, the company thought it could create an efficient way to use part of its structure to bring a little more security and peace of mind to these women.

More than just displaying ads, now, Eletromidia’s Digital Bus Stop Billboards could also keep women company who, for some reason, have to wait alone at these places at night. Using geographic data and technology, the Digital Bus Stop Billboards of the most deserted spots in the city became a tool to keep women company who were alone at bus stops, connecting them in real time with a security professional, until that they get on the bus, safely.

Most people who use public transport in Brazil are women. And, according to research, the main commuting made by women (40%) are through public transport. And many of them work late, take courses at night, and that's why they end up, alone, sometimes waiting for the last bus of the night at bus stops where Eletromidia operates with its Digital Bus Stop Billboards. Eletromidia has always used this data to sell ads, but this time, we used the data to create a project that goes beyond ads. And makes Digital Bus Stop Billboards an even more relevant tool for women.

When the billboard sensor detected that a person was alone at the stop, it displayed a message: “Do you need company until your bus arrives? Ask now.” along with a sound effect to get the person's attention. They just needed to tap the screen to start the video-call.

The project was carried out in a pilot city: Campinas, with over 1,223,000 inhabitants. First, we mapped the bus stops where women were most vulnerable. Then we updated the Digital Billboards, turning them into tools for protection. To increase the efficiency and security of the project, we made the service available, secretly, in the most deserted parts of town. Once installed, the Digital Bus Stop Billboards continued to display ads as normal. But at night, if the sensors detected a person alone at the stop, it displayed an invitation to a video-call with a security professional - trained to reassure the women, and who could even call for help instantly, if necessary. The project was implemented at 15 bus stops in the same city. But the forecast is to expand the project to more than 50 stops still in 2023. Other citys have already requested the technology as well.

The unprecedented service offered by Eletromidia did a lot for the women impacted by the new technology. There were on average more than 150 calls made per night. At the stops where the technology has been installed, there have been 0% of incidents or any kind of problems since the project started. This initiative generated contact from several other city halls in Brazil, which have already requested the installation of new Digital Bus Stop Billboards in their most deserted spots as well.

Every day, brands try to be more and more relevant to their audience. That's why they run ads on our Bus Stop Billboards. And in order to become even more relevant to these brands (and to the consumers as well), we offered a necessary service to the largest audience of this type of media, by creating a service that uses the same structure as an advertisement, but that generates a real benefit for women. That’s why we transformed the Bus Stop Billboards into tools for company and protection.

The governments of the big cities in Brazil don’t provide the security that people need. Especially at night. And it gets even worse when it comes to unaccompanied women. According to a survey, 28.9% of Brazilian women suffered some type of gender violence in the year of 2022 alone. No wonder that 77% of them feel unsafe at bus stops in the country.

Unfortunately, they are the easiest target for the country's lack of security. Although only the government and public measures can solve this type of problem for real, it doesn't mean that big companies can't do something to attenuate, offer paths to solution, or at least try to help. And that's what Eletromidia did: it used its size, structure, and influence to offer more security to unaccompanied women at bus stops at night.