INNOVATIVE
MOTION
MAKER
STUDIO
Briefing
We all know drinking and driving, texting and driving, videocalling and driving. All of it life-threatening behavior. But nowadays, there’s a new killer on the road. Watching series or movies, and driving. Yes, you read that right. Research from the Belgian Traffic Institute (VIAS) shows that 7% of Belgian drivers admitted watching series and movies while driving (even worse, in the age group 18-34 that number is 18%!!). Shocked by this disturbing new behavior, “Parents of Road Victims” wanted to send a powerful message and remind everyone to watch the road. Nothing else.
Solution
Instead of a finger-wagging campaign or a flat awareness film, the association ‘Parents of Road Victims’ partnered with Streamz, Belgium’s biggest local streaming platform, to do something way more unusual: to disguise a road safety message as a piece of entertainment. Presented in the form of a trailer, entitled THE ROAD, placed on the platform itself, in between all other ‘new title’ trailers. It didn’t promote watching a series or a movie. Instead, it urged the viewers to Watch the road. Nothing else.”
The campaign was further amplified with a movie poster for “THE ROAD”, distributed in print and out of home.
We crafted what looks like a trailer with award-winning director Delano Sookha and music composer Jaan Hantson. We named it ‘THE ROAD’ and added what looked like quotes from critics. “A must watch”. “Don’t miss a second.” “You need to see this”. Except that the quotes didn’t come from movie critics, but from actual parents who lost a child in a road safety accident. Which added an extra emotional layer to the film.
The ‘THE ROAD’ trailer was placed in between other ‘new title’ trailers on Belgium’s biggest local streaming platform Streamz, providing a seamless and surprising native experience for the viewer, who only discovered the real message at the end of the film.
