Three Billboards on the Outskirts
Ernest
Medals Won
- đ„ Silver â Financial Services
- đ„ Silver â Best Results & ROI
Campaign Overview
Each year, more than 400,000 people walk the 900km Camino de Santiagoâan intense physical and emotional journey across Spain. ABANCA, the leading regional health insurance provider in Galicia, wanted to connect with pilgrims in a way that respected the deeply personal nature of the experience.
Rather than relying on conventional advertising, the brand delivered care in its most literal form. In high-traffic rural hostels, ABANCA installed functional outdoor posters that offered real help: band-aids for blistered feet, herbal infusions for warmth and recovery, and thermal blankets to prevent hypothermia.
The result was advertising that didnât interrupt the journeyâit supported it. By transforming media into medical aid, ABANCA demonstrated that real coverage begins long before a policy is signed.
Creative Concept
The idea was simple and radical: turn posters into healthcare.
· Care as Media: Each unit carried the message âTHIS AD HEALS YOUââand genuinely did. The materials themselves became the solution: bandages, warm drinks, and thermal protection.
· Function Over Messaging: The campaign reframed outdoor media from passive communication into active care, delivering real utility in real moments.
· Radical Restraint: No logos dominated the space. No slogans oversold the promise. The creative power lived entirely in the function itselfâhelp, exactly when it was needed.
Execution Strategy
Route-Based Deployment: The activation was deployed across 119 hostels along the Camino route, precisely where pilgrims stop to rest and recover.
Bandage Posters: Posters were made from real band-aids, providing immediate first aid to walkers in need.
Infusion Posters: Units dispensed herbal infusion sachets, offering warmth and recovery during rest periods.
Thermal Protection Posters: Posters embedded with thermal blankets delivered physical relief in cold conditions.
Local Partner Enablement: Hostel partners supported logistics and installation, allowing the campaign to adapt to rural environments and regulatory constraints.
Presence Over Promotion: ABANCAâs geographic reach was made visible through real utility and careâestablishing relevance through action, not advertising.
Impact and Results
The campaign exceeded every awareness and business objective:
· 91.3% brand awareness, up from 63%, demonstrating a dramatic increase in top-of-mind visibility.
· 64% product awareness, up from 42%, confirming deeper understanding of the offering.
· +173% growth in weekly policies, evidencing strong behavioral response and conversion.
· âŹ1.12M in revenue in the month post-campaign, validating immediate commercial impact.
· 1,592% ROI (x16 return), showcasing extraordinary efficiency and profitability.
· Sales rose over 219%, proving that empathy-driven activation can outperform mass media.
Why It Worked
Three Billboards on the Outskirts succeeded by replacing promises with proof. Instead of claiming protection, ABANCA delivered it physically, precisely when pilgrims were most vulnerable.
By embedding care directly into the journey, the brand transformed insurance from an abstract service into a lived experience of trust. The result was not just awarenessâbut measurable behavior change, sales conversion, and extraordinary ROI.

Client
ABANCA
Agency Name
Ernest
Categories
Financial Services
Best Results & ROI
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