On 8 July 2026, Brussels transport operator STIB announced it had won a Red Dot Award for Product Design for its new digital totems installed at metro station entrances. The award recognises urban design work, but it also sheds light on a field many Belgian SMEs know little about: local digital signage, somewhere between information and advertising.
1. 130 totems, a redesigned identity
Over the past two years, 130 new digital totems have been installed outside the 69 metro and premetro stations in Brussels. The contract went to Bauer Outdoor Media, working with design agency Yellow Window, already responsible for the design of the capital's trams and metro trains. The iconic "M" created by Jean-Paul Emonds-Alt in 1976 keeps its place, now set against a new backdrop: an irregular blue surface echoing Art Nouveau curves, a reference also found on the rolling stock.
2. Two screens, two distinct functions
Below the real-time waiting display, each totem features two screens. One is dedicated to mobility: an interactive journey planner with a street map and timetables for STIB and other operators. The other is reserved for advertising, including STIB's own campaigns. STIB manages this content remotely, letting it inform travellers in real time during unexpected events.
3. A showcase for digital out-of-home advertising
This project illustrates a broader trend: digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) is becoming more interactive, more contextual, and easier to manage remotely. For a Belgian business, this isn't just an urban mobility curiosity: it's a reminder that your media mix doesn't stop at Meta, Google or LinkedIn campaigns. Local digital signage near your points of contact deserves the same scrutiny on targeting and messaging as your online channels.
4. Design as a marketing asset in its own right
A Red Dot Award isn't won on aesthetics alone: the jury also assesses functionality and how well a design fits its environment. The lesson applies to any brand, whatever its size: visual consistency across your touchpoints (website, social media, print, and local signage where relevant) builds recognition far more than any single, however successful, visual.
The AI lens, people first
An AI tool can continuously track the performance of several creative variations, adapt a message to the time of day or context, or flag that a campaign needs adjusting. But choosing the art direction, arbitrating between channels, and deciding what truly represents your brand remain human calls. Our stance: AI executes, expertise decides and watches.
This week
Compare your campaign visuals, your website and your social media: do they share the same palette, typography, tone? If one touchpoint feels off, now's a good time to align it.
With Vistalaro Studio, we keep art direction consistent across every touchpoint, and with Vistalaro Reach, we run your Meta, LinkedIn, Google, TikTok and Amazon campaigns while keeping that brand consistency front and centre, whatever the channel.
Is your visual identity consistent everywhere?
We audit it with you, no jargon, and flag the priorities.
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