Duoprint Turns Billboards Into Lifeguard Heroes to Rewrite Beach Safety in Ecuador

In a context where Ecuadorian beaches face growing drowning risks, Oruga has unveiled ‘Safety Ads’, a campaign emerging as a regional innovation to transform advertising into a vital prevention tool. Developed in collaboration between Groenlandia by Havas Chile and Herrera Havas Ecuador, and produced by Oruga Cine, this initiative turns advertising billboards into lifeguard chairs — demonstrating how creative advertising can go beyond mere messaging to generate a tangible impact on public safety and concretely save lives.

The advertising industry is typically measured by reach, recall, or conversation. ‘Safety Ads’, however, was born with a different ambition: to turn advertising spaces into active prevention and safety tools for people.

The initiative was implemented on the beaches of Manta, transforming communication supports into systems that help rescue teams prevent accidents and assist beachgoers.

Over the three days of the Manta Carnival, the initiative recorded 1,081 preventive actions and 19 lives saved, according to Ronald Zambrano, director of tourism of the Municipality of Manta — demonstrating the potential of creativity when integrated with real community needs.

"We often talk about the power of creativity to generate cultural impact. ‘Safety Ads’ proves it can also generate human impact," said Fernando Condeza, executive creative director of Groenlandia by Havas Chile. "The idea was born from a simple question: what if advertising could give something concrete back to people?"

Marco Contreras, chief creative officer of Herrera Havas Ecuador, highlights the value of regional collaboration, "When we saw the idea working on the beach and heard the results, we understood it had stopped being a campaign and had become a real solution. That is the kind of creativity the industry needs today: ideas that don't just get seen, but that actually serve a purpose."

The initiative received support from the Municipality of Manta, led by Mayor Marciana Valdivieso, along with strategic partners including Duoprint, AdCity, Sauvalle Music, POSTON, and production company Oruga Cine, who made the implementation and development of the project possible.

‘Safety Ads’ proposes a new role for advertising in public space: shifting from interrupting to actively contributing to people's wellbeing.

Following its initial implementation in Ecuador, the model is set to expand to other beaches across the country and, beyond its borders, to beaches in Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia.

‘Safety Ads’ opens a conversation about the future of creativity in the region — one capable of generating brand visibility while delivering real value to society.