This safe-driving message chooses a road less travelled

[Spoiler alert]

Conditioned as we are to expect terrible things to happen in ads or public service message about driving (here's one particularly effective and memorable example), the film above, from NRMA Insurance and Colenso BBDO, is a nail-biting experience.

As the kids drift off to sleep in the back seat and mom's eyelids start to droop, 'Sleeper' seems destined to end in a head-on collision with squealing tires and breaking glass. Turns out it's driving in an altogether different direction, where everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound. 

By effectively toying with our expectations, the film demands attention. And Ad Nut especially likes how the action slowly becomes more and more dreamlike, until it cross a double-yellow line and we realize we're in a fictional universe where self-driving cars have advanced well beyond today's capabilities. And that realisation, in turn, delivers the message quite effectively.

The campaign includes TV, cinema and online.

Ad Nut wishes safe travels to all who are lucky enough to be able to travel for the holidays this year. 

CREDITS

Client: NRMA Insurance, IAG AU
Chief Marketing Officer: Brent Smart
Marketing Director: Sally Kiernan
Creative & Innovation Lead: Elizabeth Stokes
Creative & Innovation Specialist: Danielle Picker

Creative Agency: Colenso BBDO

Media Agency: MindShare, AU

FINCH
Producer - Cath Anderson
Executive Producer - Loren Bradley
Executive Producer - Rob Galluzzo

MJZ
Director - Juan Cabral
DOP – Eric Gautier
President / Executive Producer - David Zander        
Executive Producer - Emma Wilcockson 

Editor – Emiliano Fardaus
Colourist – Ricky Gausis
Online – Blockhead VFX
Music Supervision & Licensing – Jay James, Soundtree Music
Sound Design – Parv Thind, Wave Studios UK
Producer – Beth Tomblin, Wave Studios UK

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.