The Campaign

In India, various cities are witnessing a rise in crimes against women. Dark unlit street in the cities are adding to the problem. Operating on the insight that well lit places help women feel safe and confident, Halonix, a lighting solutions company, asked women to identify dark, unlit streets through a social media campaign. Then those streets were identified that urgently needed better lighting. Halonix billboards were installed at these places that turned into powerful street lighting at night. These billboards not only made the women feel safer but also initiated a social conversation about women safety among the general public. The facebook page alone generated a reach around 35,00,000. The initiative was picked up and magnified by the media. This vast zero-paid media buzz and the conversations on the social media by the general public helped a new entrant like Halonix became a household name. With just a minimum budget, the campaign produced maximum impact that no conventional advertising could have achieved. Above all, the brand established itself as a socially responsibly brand, one that is closer to every heart.

The Brief

The Halonix Safer City Project was targeted at the general public, but with a special focus on women. It was set into motion with a two pronged objective. Firstly, it aimed to turn the existing outdoor advertising budget into a more purposeful communication tool that can cover the length and breadth of nation with a minimal budget. Secondly, the brand aimed to establish itself as a social responsible brand, by offering a unique lighting solution built around a cause and thereby furthering its positional tagline of ‘The Right Light’.

Results

Turning billboards into street lighting focused on what the brand stood for - better lighting and social responsibility. The idea managed to bring in topicality with a social act. This raised awareness levels for a relatively new brand in the category. The initiative was picked up and magnified by the media. In a very short period of time, the project’s facebook page reach went up to 34,90,763 with over 1 lakh engaged users. The campaign buzz has led to unaided recall for a new brand like Halonix grow from 20% to 70%. Positive feedback, especially from women, has encouraged Halonix to take the project to 7 more cities. More enquiries and requests have come from various other cities of India.

Execution

The campaign for the Safer City Project was first launched as a pilot project in New Delhi, the capital of India. On the social media, Halonix asked the citizens of Delhi to identify dark places in the city that made them feel insecure. Online opinion polls were conducted to zero-in on streets that most needed lighting. At these streets, Halonix billboards and kiosks fitted with high lumen products were installed which transformed into street lights at night. The project was then extended to seven more cities, i.e, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Chennai, Lucknow, Trivandrum, and Ghaziabad, based on a similar model.

The Situation

In India, cities are witnessing a rise in crimes against women. Dark, unlit streets in the cities are adding further to the problem. And there is a direct correlation between crime rates and bad lighting. A situation that not only had to be solved on an urgent basis but also bought into public notice to heighten the awareness on the issues regarding women safety.

The Strategy

Halonix is a new entrant in the field of lighting solutions among well-established brands in the market. With an environmentally conscious product range, it wanted to establish itself as a socially responsible brand. It also wanted this approach to reflect in its advertising. Its tagline,’ The Right Light’, reflected this thinking. To further this, a CSR initiative was made that would further its positional plank. As crimes against women were on the rise, it decided to take up the issue. Based on the insight that good lighting makes people feel safe, it repurposed its advertising billboards to act as streetlights at night. This allowed the company to smartly use its advertising budget to demonstrate that Halonix is a socially responsible brand.