In June 2016 alone, over 90 people in India were killed by lightning during the monsoon season. Most of them were farmers working in remote areas, with no means of protecting themselves from lightning strikes. Varuna, one of India’s biggest submersible pumps and open well motors manufacturers and a brand committed to sustainable agricultural solutions, tasked us to develop a solution that could tackle the issue. With a budget of 250,000 rupees (AED 14,000), our objective was to reduce rural casualties from lightning strikes, with a view to broaden the scope of the campaign so that it could be implemented across India in the near future.

The Monsoon Billboard was implemented from 13 September to 31 October 2016, and employed simple design elements that directly spoke to our target audience. Within the 3x8 meter Billboard, which incorporated a lightning rod to channel lightning into the ground and create a safe zone for farmers in the event of a storm, step by step icons and simple instructions conveyed vital information about how to minimize the risk of getting struck. The Billboard employed black and white print on vinyl to maximize clarity and visibility, especially in rain, as well as a lightning rod, copper coil, copper cable and ground rod to safely earth any lightning strike.

The Monsoon Billboard was implemented from 13 September to 31 October 2016, and employed simple design elements that directly spoke to our target audience. Within the 3x8 meter Billboard, which incorporated a lightning rod to channel lightning into the ground and create a safe zone for farmers in the event of a storm, step by step icons and simple instructions conveyed vital information about how to minimize the risk of getting struck. The Billboard employed black and white print on vinyl to maximize clarity and visibility, especially in rain, as well as a lightning rod, copper coil, copper cable and ground rod to safely earth any lightning strike.