South Australian Police targets senior drivers in newly launched campaign via The Sideways Theory
South Australian Police is targeting senior drivers for the first time in a new campaign launched by local creative and strategic agency The Sideways Theory.
The cross-platform campaign will target senior drivers and their adult children.
Says Cinzia DiVito, head of creative at The Sideways Theory: “This is a highly sensitive topic and a conversation that most of us will need to have one day, either with loved ones or as we consider our own driving future. But it’s also unprecedented which meant strong strategic consideration and heavy testing across all audiences to get it right.”
Says Richard Blackwell, manager, media road safety at SAPOL: “This first-of-its-kind is so different because it’s focused on older drivers who are less likely to exhibit the behaviours we normally target in drivers. The process of aging makes drivers more vulnerable on the road but it’s also an emotionally charged issue that needs sensitivity, insight and a deft hand.”
Says DiVito: “The campaign is designed to empower senior drivers and encourage them to introduce strategies that safely support their current driving needs, while also making plans to eventually stop driving on their own terms.”
Real life seniors were featured in this campaign, adding much needed authenticity.
Says Jason Hollamby, creative director, The Sideways Theory: “Accurately portraying real-life situations and practical solutions for senior drivers was important to ensure that campaign was relatable and would engage in a more positive and relevant light.”
The Sideways Theory applied high-level research via New Focus, an in-depth media strategy developed by Wavemaker, and Council On The Aging SA insights to strike a balance that supports drivers and their safety as the leading priority.
The campaign launches this week across all free to air channels, connected TV, out of home, digital, radio, newspaper, magazine and other online channels.
Agency: The Sideways Theory
Client: South Australia Police
Client Team: Richard Blackwell, Elke Brintrup Krueger, Jason Burns
Director: Jason Hollamby
Head of Creative: Cinzia Di Vito
Account Director: Lara Hollamby
Art Director: Paul “Straatts” Stratton
Designer: Jessica Bradley
Production Co: Sideways Studios
Casting: Sideways Studios
Production Mgr: “Hey! Rikki” Manning
Production Asst: Bonet Leate
Runner: Henry Buckley
Hair & Makeup: Ashlea Munn
DOP: Miles Rowland
1st A/C: James Wire
2nd A/C: Jake Cooper
Gaffer: Nic Datson
Grip: Justin Van Zyl
Grip: Django Nou
Audio: Victor Ivchenko
Photography: Steve McCawley
Photography Asst: Josh McCawley
Retoucher: Paul Munzberg
Illustrator: Nahum Ziersche
Editor/Effects: Stephen Deeble, Visualizm
Assistant Editor: Maddie Tierney
Sound Engineer: Scott Illingworth, Seeing Sounds
Voice Talent: Jane Reilly
Precision Driver: Gary Baxter
Precision Driver: Adrian Akhurst
Safety Officer: Richard Boue
Nurse: Catherine Wake
Traffic Control: Seychell Traffic
Media Agency: Wavemaker
Out of Home: MediaNest
Research: New Focus
8 Comments
Ooh I like that tagline.
That’s depressing.
Would it be acceptable to stereotype or address any other group of people in such a patronising way?
Not likely.
Obviously complicated but at least its real and probably helpful.
My mates mum crashed her car into the back of a stationary vehicle less than three years ago, and in a panic, shoved it into reverse and floored it. She went backwards through a fence, down a front lawn and crashed into the house. It was the last day she was ever allowed to drive. Three weeks ago, she was admitted into full time care in a dementia ward. That crash was somewhat out of nowhere at the time but a serious sign it was time to stop driving. Yeah, this is a very delicate issue, but everyone ages differently and there needs to be more education around identifying your own limitations. Realistically my mate’s mum could have killed someone that day… reversed over a child playing in a front yard. She’s only in her mid-70s. Whether this execution is 100% is subjective but the message is right. If it’s uncomfortable for people to watch in the target age group, maybe it’s actually doing it’s job.
Sure it will make the olds squirm, but that’s a good thing. And as someone with older parents I can relate.
This discriminatory campaign has a bitter reminder of how becoming old (and are not we all) leaves one vulnerable to ongoing prejudice. The statistics show that older drivers are far less responsible for traffic accidents than younger drivers. The assumption that the relationship between adult children and their parents is benign is far from universal. Elder abuse by many adult children is well documented and is growing. This campaign will give these abusers yet another psychological weapon. The campaign enjoins older people to use transport driven by younger drivers who are far more at risk of accidents than they, thus the vulnerability of the elderly to serious injury and death may be increased and not reduced. Further elderly pedestrians are far more at risk from injury and death than are the younger yet this campaign is, at least implicitly, by encouraging older people to forsake the road for what may be the more dangerous (for them) footpath. Surely a better way to spend campaign money would be on changing younger driver behaviour and not focus on the more careful elderly.
It’s not always practical for the elderly to stop driving at times. They are often still caring for their own children due to special needs, illness and they have grand children to support as families are busy. Often there is not much support for grandparents when it comes to transportation.
With life getting more demanding and the growing need to rely on grand parents for support their transportation is often critical.
There are some very simplistic views presented here and more importantly people driving under the influence of drugs or intoxicated is a much bigger issue on the roads. We are loosing too many lives more so to this issue.
Good try but I think this really misses a big mark!