303 drives the ORS to distraction
303’s new campaign for The Office of Road Safety hits the senses head on, bringing viewers’ and listeners’ attention to driver distractions. Distractions, those daily actions that can cause accidents without the driver realising it, are being addressed for the first time in WA, and form part of the wider Road Safety strategy ‘Towards Zero’. The 303-created campaign includes radio, TV, outdoor and online executions. The radio and TV commercials are intentionally confronting and startling in their depictions of what can happen to road users when a driver is distracted. They feature a cyclist, a motorbike rider, pedestrians and other drivers. The online game and distraction ringtones are downloadable from the Office of Road Safety website.
View the TVC:
The campaign was designed to create awareness that driver distractions are an important road safety issue, and to explain to anyone using the street, but particularly drivers, that the everyday activities done whilst driving can in fact divert attention from the road. Based around the core theme that ‘distracted drivers are dangerous’, the campaign was designed to reach everyone who uses the road.
The creative team was Richard Berney and Davood Tabeshfar. Art Director Richard Berney says: “People don’t realise that distractions whilst driving can cause major injury and we wanted to bring it to people’s attention in a confronting way.” Adds Tabeshfar: “Drivers who eat, read or write text messages, change a CD or put on make-up can seriously injure themselves or other road users.”
Research conducted during campaign development brought out awareness of these types of driver distractions: eating, drinking, smoking, changing a CD or radio station, putting on make-up, talking on the mobile, talking to passengers or children or picking up something from the floor, all whilst driving. This research was used to develop the creative and craft the messages.
The 30 second TVC, shot by Sydney director Jess Bluck through Revolver Films, features drivers of varying ages in different driving situations, each one faced with in-car distractions and the consequences for taking their focus off the road. There are two 30 second radio executions each from a driver and victim point of view, and three versions of ads that touch on three different types of distractions. Bringing home the powerful message on a medium one might use in the car was a significant part of the media strategy.
The outdoor executions will feature on Regional WA Outdoor Billboards and Metro bus backs. Whilst the outdoor demonstrates the distraction and consequence, the bus back creative relates directly to the medium in which it appears. A game was developed to reach younger drivers. It demonstrates that not paying full attention whilst driving can hit ‘creatures’ on the road and when one does, an important distraction message is played.
Credits – CD: Lindsay Medalia. Art Director: Richard Berney. Copywriter: Davood Tabasher. Agency Producers: Belinda Hawkins, Holly Kemp. Business Director: Donna-Maree Gavin. Director: Jess Bluck. Production Company: Revolver. Executive Producer: Matt Barber. Radio: (Victim Spots) Soundbyte Studios. Sound Engineer: Brad Habib (Driver Spots) Eardrum. Sound Engineer: Ralph van Dijk. Ringtones: Recording Studios: Turning Studios. Producer: Emma Hoy. Print: Photographer: Allan Myles.
11 Comments
Not the greatest but at least the ORS is spending money again.
Rich/Dav – Jeez, don’t let the PR person quote you like that again!
thank god you used an eastern states production company because our struggling perth directors could never have made it this brilliant.
very very ordinary. No idea at all, just show people being distracted…with the line don’t be distracted…..ummm, am I missing something?? The print is even worse, looks dated and cheap and again no idea.
Hate the ringtones, sorry. As if anyone is actually going to download a road safety message and have it as their ringtone! Not gonna happen. Smacks of an Agency wasting money on a cute idea that won’t work, for their own self promotion. Harsh, but true.
I just don’t think it will work
missed opportunity
don’t worry – you’re not the only one
Imagine presenting this ‘We show people in their cars being distracted and then we cut to a graphic that says Distracted drivers are dangerous’.
Sorry but it’s absolute crap. If Perth continues to do this rubbish than we deserve accounts to move East.
I’m with 1156, anyone of Corrie, Rob or Zagar could have done this and better.
It’s pretty hard to take seriously the bleating from agencies about work, particularly government work, heading East given how often they send TVC work, again particularly government work, to Sydney, Melbourne or New Zealand based directors.
The online game is spew too. Between that and the ringtones, there’s $30K or so you’ll never see again. Sorry guys, but none of this feels very effective.
Spew?
Come on guys, this isn’t their greatest work but surely we can all see the client’s fingerprints all over this.
I’m certain this wasn’t the agency’s preferred direction. Well, I hope it wasn’t…
well as an ‘ordinary Australian’ (actually I’m English), having had my only accident ever by being distracted, I think it works! Get off your advertising ego’s.
@ 309 – what is their greatest work then? This seems fairly typical.