Radio Crashes: Stay Live Stay Alive
2017
People in Russia talk and text on their phones while driving and radio stations provoke this behavior. Every station has a call-in show where listeners are calling or texting to win presents or just to say hi to their friends.
Smartphone using is the second, after alcohol consumption, human factor causing car accidents. Despite a common opinion, hands-free devices offer no safety benefit when driving. Driving while talking on cell phones – handheld and hands-free – increases risk of crashes fourfold. The number is even bigger for texting and using apps.
SM Polis Insurance is fighting against this dangerous habit with live radio broadcast of “car crashes”. The clients of SM Polis Insurance also suffer from this, so the brand wanted to change the behavioral patterns and combine a brand awareness campaign with a safety awareness campaign.
18 radio stations refused to join the action; they only cared about ratings and public image. So we had just one: Novoe Radio. Together with a popular call-in radio show we demonstrated what can happen if you use a phone while driving.
When a presenter was getting a call from someone who was driving at the moment, he immediately disconnected the call and put on air the sounds of a car crash. After a moment of scary silence the presenter revealed it was not a real crash and explained the danger of using phones while driving.
The first results came just in a couple of days. We were getting less and less calls from the drivers. The story was featured in media. After more than 70 publications the other radio stations changed their mind and joined the action to protect their listeners.
With thousands of media mentions, the audience reach exceeded the population of the city.
Radio Crashes: Stay Live Stay Alive