Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Clemenger BBDO (Clems) have created a new toy-themed campaign encouraging people to ride e-scooters safely. The stop-motion films feature a cast of toy characters riding e-scooters recklessly with devastating consequences.
The campaign, ‘If you think e-scooters are a toy, think again’, boldly reframes the misconceptions that e-scooters are fun and frivolous ‘toys’ when in reality they’re a powerful device with serious consequences.
Clems worked with award-winning animation studio Mighty Nice to create the films, featuring a cast of toy characters riding e-scooters unsafely around different Melbourne streetscapes. The moment the toys crash, they transition into real people with very real and painful injuries.
The films and radio also feature a catchy toy-style jingle which was created with Squeak E. Clean Studios. In radio, each spot begins as upbeat toy commercials before taking a sombre turn.
“We wanted to shock e-scooter riders into reality. Going from joyful toy world to painful reality achieves this in a bold way. It’s been a brilliant campaign to be part of,” said senior copywriter, Ellie Dunn.
“We’re always looking for the talkability factor in our work. Twisting classic toy tropes to create an arresting campaign about e-scooter safety creates a distinctive mnemonic that lives on in people’s minds,” said Clems chief creative officer Adrian Flores.
The campaign comes after the TAC insights revealed that a large portion of e-scooter users are still deliberately taking risks and choosing to ignore the rules. And that young people (16-34 years), and males in particular, are the most likely to engage in dangerous e-scooter riding and rule-breaking behaviour.
“Right now, too many e-scooter riders are underestimating the serious risk of injury. Through this campaign, we are asking all Victorians to do the right thing every time they ride an e-scooter. With the festive season fast approaching, it’s also a good opportunity to remind parents and guardians to reconsider buying an e-scooter as a present for children under the legal age of 16 years,” said Jacqui Sampson, executive general manager community, TAC.
The campaign will run until 26 January 2025 across online video, social, digital and radio.
CREDITS
Agency: Clemenger BBDO Adrián Flores, Chief Creative Officer Derek Anderson, Creative Director
Ellie Dunn, Senior Copywriter Lisa Dupré, Senior Art Director
Simon Wassef, Chief Strategy & Experience Officer
Ness Quincey, Senior Strategy Director
Len Duniec, Behavioural Scientist
James Kerr, Group Business Director Tony Dediu, Business Director
Caitie Jackson, Business Manager
Alana Teasdale, Radio Producer
Client: Transport Accident Commission (TAC)
Jacqui Sampson, Executive General Manager – Community
Angela Hann, Senior Manager, Marketing, Sponsorships and Engagement
Katrina Nedeski, Acting Team Manager Marketing and Advertising / Campaign Manager
Lucia Brisolla, (Former) Campaign Manager
Michaela Bradley, Marketing Advisor
Paul Tierney, Acting Director – Behaviour, Education & Community
Samantha Buckis, Acting Manager – Behavioural Insights and Programs
Production: MADE THIS Ainslee Littlemore, Head of Film Callum Smith, Producer Lachlan Beattie, Production Manager Tom Stephens, Director
Post Production: Mighty Nice Darren Price, Director Tina Braham, Executive Producer Chloe Marshall, Producer Ben Seager, Head of studio Pete Nizic, Duncan MacLaren, Animators Simon Higgans, Stop Motion Director of Photography Jacqui Hudson, Art Director / Model Maker
Sound: Squeak E. Clean Studios Paul Le Couteur, Sound Engineer
Ceri Davies, Executive Producer
Karla Henwood, Executive Creative Producer
