Textile artists rethink safety vests to help fight transport worker abuse in new campaign for Dept. of Transport + Planning via Clemenger BBDO
In recent years, Victoria has seen an increase in verbal abuse of its frontline workers. At the same time, psychologists have proven that we treat other people better once we know more about them. So, to raise awareness for the issue of transport worker abuse and to help reduce it, Australian textile artists were commissioned to bring transport workers’ personal stories to life through artwork embroidered onto their safety vests in a new project via Clemenger BBDO.
The project, ‘Hi-vis Humanity’, aims to help protect workers, by asking passengers to see the people behind the uniforms. The vests featured in the campaign reflect the personal stories of four transport workers—a refugee, gold medalist, domestic violence survivor and father of young children.
The highly personalised, reflective safety vests were crafted by renowned Australian textile artists Kait James, Sharon Peoples, Ruth De Vos and Susie Vickery. The artists used reflective thread and fabric to maintain the existing safety attributes of the workers’ hi-vis vests—while large reflective panels on the back of the vests also feature the workers’ written stories.
“It’s not often that we look beyond the person performing a service, however it’s something we need to do more of,” artist Susie Vickery said—noting how fascinated she was with the workers’ stories and bringing them to life through embroidery.
The vests will be displayed across Victoria’s public transport network through outdoor advertising around public transport stations and stops while films online and on social media will expand upon the workers’ stories.
Says Tristan Graham, ECD, Clemenger BBDO: “Once you hear these incredibly personal and powerful stories from public transport workers, you can’t help but view them differently. Even for those of us working on the campaign, the impact was instant and profound. I can’t wait to see the positive change the vests have in the real world,” Clemenger BBDO ECD Tristan Graham said.
The campaign is live in market on Monday 16 October.
Client: Department of Transport & Planning
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Chief Creative Officer: Jim Curtis
Executive Creative Director: Tristan Graham
Group Creative Director: Ant Phillips
National Traffic Manager: Karen Kushinsky
Art Director: Zoe Perrin
Copywriter: Riana McKenzie
Craft Designer: Ant Yee
Senior Producer: Lisa Moro
Managing Director: Julian Bell
Strategy Partner: Mike Ronkoske
Group Business Director: Ben Peachell
Senior Business Manager: Elyse Paone
Artists (vest creation):
Kait James
Sharon Peoples
Ruth de Vos
Susie Vickery
Production Company: Clemenger Studios
Director / DOP: Hossein Khodabandehloo bin Abolfazl
Gaffer: Han Palmer
B Camera Operator: Lewis Rodan
Production Producer: Elizabeth Rocka
Editor: Andrew Packer
Editor: Sam Coates
Sound Engineer: Robbie Balatincz
Photographer: Ryan Wheatley
Retoucher: Gabrielle Hughs
34 Comments
Absolutely beautiful work. Dead simple, great cause, great creative.
A government client convinced to do this level of craft? Pretty damn admirable.
Such craft! What a stunning piece of work. Really refreshing to see behaviour change work treated so beautifully.
I actually had tears. Ashamed we need campaigns as stunning and powerful as this – just to remind us to show some respect.
Great to see some great work for such a good cause
What a beautiful piece of work celebrating some of our most essential workers.
Great idea, incredible craft. This is a goodie.
Killer job, the vests are beautiful.
Nice! Looking forward to seeing this out in the world.
Powerful, potent. Well done Clems.
Nice to see government clients doing good work. Well done getting this over the line.
Shed a tear. Great idea. Great craft.
I’m not crying over a transport ad you are
So powerful and I have goosebumps. Im jelly as!
Seems like a simple idea executed beautifully. Nice one Clems.
Love this.
Well done 🙂
One of those ideas where everything’s right: the insight, the idea, the feels. Hats off!
The person next to me in the office saw tears in my eyes. They asked why. I showed them. They, in turn, made the next person tear up to. What a simple and powerful story. I wish we had more of these for people to reconsider how easily it is to cause hurt when it can be 100% avoided.
Good
brilliant work. powerful. moving. needed.
So beautiful.
Nice work.
I like the idea, I like the craft, but I feel as though this idea just doesn’t quite do what it’s supposed to do or wants to do.
It tells me that every transport worker has their own story, but I don’t see how it makes people that abuse them, stop the behaviour.
Feels like we’ve got lost in the story behind the worker and not addressed the abuse problem.
Not a hater, just my opinion.
Beautiful bit of work. Hope it gets the amplification it deserves.
This is so very very good
Big Clems W
Beautiful work. Love it. Nice one, Clems.
Bingo
Cool craft on the vests, but lazy name and boring videos. Every time I see an interviewee walking to their stool I’m like ZZzZZzZzZ. Unfortunately these are not just case study videos, they’re the actual campaign since there’ll only be 4 vests out in the wild.
straight up copy of what aami did last year with SES? even down to the embroidery and film style https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMpITPrEd44 ? seems lazy
Oh yeh wow that is very identical. But done better.
Well done on this Clemenger. Great concept beautifully executed. Kudos.
Well done on this. Great concept beautifully executed. Kudos.
ouch, that is a bit too close for comfort.