Direct > Best Use of Digital Direct Marketing

DUMB WAYS TO DIE

McCANN MELBOURNE, Melbourne / METRO TRAINS / 2013

Awards:

Gold Cannes Lions
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Overview

Credits

OVERVIEW

ClientBriefOrObjective

Objectives.

Metro Trains had four primary objectives:

1. Reduce train related accidents in key accident areas by 10% over 12 months.

2. Generate a stated commitment to be safe around trains from our core target of 5% (40,000 pledges) over 12 months (ABS 2012, Population by Age and Sex, Regions of Australia).

3. Generate campaign awareness of 25% in the core target.

4. Generate buzz (social, public relations) for the campaign to multiply the campaign budget by 5%.

Execution

Dumb Ways to Die used a radical approach to public safety messaging. By using entertainment rather than shock tactics, we were able to engage a young audience wired to resist lectures and warnings from authorities.

And given the importance of peer-to-peer recommendations in behavioural change, this approach meant that young people would actively share the safety message amongst themselves, rather than simply mocking it as they would usually do.

Implementation

Dumb Ways to Die was an integrated direct campaign that used entertaining content to reposition being unsafe around trains as the dumbest way to die. We didn’t preach, we didn’t threaten, and we didn’t lecture.

Branded content was designed to raise awareness of train safety and get it on the agenda. But every element of the campaign directed people to pledge to be safe around trains: we wanted to get users of Melbourne’s Metro system to actively invest in changing their behavior.

Outcome

With no media budget, the music video received over 20 million YouTube views within a week. The song charted on iTunes in 28 countries, and made the top 10 in several. Over 3 million facebook shares made it the most shared PSA in history.

The website is nearing its millionth pledge to be safe. In post-testing, 39% of our core audience said they would act safer around trains because of the campaign. For the three months post-launch (the most recent data), Metro experienced a 21% reduction in accidents and deaths in key accident areas compared to the same time last year.

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