21st May marked the end of UN Road Safety Week 2023. As stated in one of our previous blogs, the UN observes Road Safety Week every year to spread awareness about road safety issues worldwide. And brands are at the forefront of the UN’s efforts to sensitize people about the perils of dangerous driving.
So, here we are with 5 fantastic road safety commercials that played a major role in driving awareness about safe driving.
1. Transport Accident Commission, Australia: Girlfriend
This was the first-ever ad produced by the Australian Transport Accident Commission and seeks to highlight the fact that if you get into a road accident because of drunken driving, then your physical injuries won’t be your only concern.
The ad showcases the story of a young drunk driver who seriously injures his girlfriend, and is confronted at the hospital by her angry parents, setting the realistic, documentary style that has been the hallmark of TAC communications ever since. The ad tries to make the audience realize how the guilt of driving under the influence of alcohol and hurting their loved ones in accidents begins to weigh down upon the conscience of such drivers.
2. HP Lubricants- Roads That Honk
HP Lubricants came up with an ad that informed viewers about how the steep and narrow roads in Jammu-Srinagar highway result in fatal accidents and awful casualties. This was because the hairpin road bend prevents drivers at either side of the road, which results in them crashing.
However, HP Lubricants came up with the brilliant innovation of #RoadsThatHonk and placed radar technology-powered poles that communicated with each other to alert drivers on both ends by creating the sound of a horn.
3. Car Keys UK: It’s 30 for a Reason
Car Keys UK came up with this brilliant commercial that made people aware of the dangers of breaking speed limits.
The ad shows a girl lying by the side of the road, probably hit by an oncoming vehicle. The ad proceeds with the message that there’s an 80% chance that the girl would die if she’s hit by a car traveling at 40 mph. But if she were to be hit at 30 mph, there’s an 80% chance that she’d survive. Thus, the ad shows while we can’t predict accidents and other mishaps, we can surely take steps to minimize the impact of such accidents.
After all, there’s a reason why the speed limit is 30 mph in residential or urban areas.
4. Droom: Talking God
Indian society is largely religious and Droom, an online automobile transactional marketplace, decided to leverage people’s proximity toward their religion.
Droom installed accelerometers in deities that are usually pre-fitted in cars manufactured in India. So, drivers were prompted by the miniature deities every time they went over the normal speed limit and were instead asked to drive carefully. Honestly, I am not sure how many people heeded the advice of these deities, but Droom surely took a step in the right direction.
5. UK Department of Transport: Julie
This commercial by the UK Department of Transport is part of their road safety campaign, Think!, and highlights how important it is to wear seatbelts for not only the people sitting in the front seats but also the ones sitting on the rear seat in a car.
The ad shows a woman Julie, and her children getting inside their car. But a collision with an oncoming car kills her although she was wearing her seatbelt. Cause of the death? Her son! Well, it so happened that her son who was sitting in the rear seat hadn’t worn his seatbelt and his head hit his mom’s head at the back because of the accident’s impact.
Imagine living while you know that your mother died because of you, albeit inadvertently!
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of some of the best road safety commercials. While it’s vital for people to follow every traffic rule, it’s equally important for brands to come up with such impactful ad campaigns to spread awareness about safe driving.
We’ll be back with more awesome commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned!