"Going from joyful toy world to painful reality achieves this in a bold way."
Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Clemenger BBDO (Clems) have created a toy-themed campaign encouraging people to ride e-scooters safely.
The campaign, ‘If you think e-scooters are a toy, think again’, 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 animation studio Mighty Nice to create the stop-motion 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 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.
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, as well as 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.
Clems senior copywriter, Ellie Dunn said the agency 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," she said.
said TAC's EGM of community, Jacqui Sampson, said 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," she said.
"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."
The campaign will run until January 26 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
