Two decades after the TAC in Victoria and Grey Advertising changed the way governments around the world approached road safety promotion, Clemenger Melbourne has given the iconic Kombi commercial a makeover, revealing a completely different outcome thanks to technology advances.
The original commercial left audiences reeling as the the beautiful dawn vista was shattered when the sleepy driver plunged his Kombi van headlong into an oncoming truck.
The shocking effect of the ad set the standard for two decades of road safety advertising around the world and launched Grey on the run to a string of awards at advertising festivals around the world as it dominated the public service announcement category.
The ad was also credited with lowering the Australian road toll.
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Clemenger’s homage to the campaign features a modern VW but the same circumstances – a sleepy driver at dawn, his girlfriend beside him asleep and an oncoming truck.
But the difference is a five star rated car, road dividing wires, driver alerting lane lines and in-car alerts that turn the tragic outcome of 1994 into a near miss.
The ad is the latest step in Victoria’s Towards Zero campaign which is moving from shock to public education.
Credits:
TAC
Manager, Road Safety – Sam Cockfield
Manager, Technical & Policy, Road Safety – Jessica Truong
Marketing Manager, Community Relations – Jodi Gubana
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Project Manager, Community Relations – Cherie McMahon
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
Creative Chairman James McGrath
Executive Creative Director Ant Keogh
Creative Director Stephen de Wolf
Art Director Jackson Harper
Copywriter Shannon Crowe
Managing Partner Lee Simpson
Group Account Director Naomi Gorringe
Account Director Kate Joiner
Account Manager Pat Nally
Executive Producer, TV Sonia Von Bibra
Senior Agency Producer TV Emma Johnson
Senior Agency Producer Digital Ben Crowe
Agency Producer, Print Nicholas Short
Senior Planner Matt Pearce
Director of Design Jake Turnbull
Production
Director Bruce Hunt
Producer Catherine Jarman
Executive Producer Michael Ritchie
DOP/Cinematographer Ross Emery
Production Company Revolver
Editor Seth Lockwood
Flame Artist Heather Galvin
Colour Grade Edel Rafferty
Post-Production Producer Olivia Carolan
Post Production Company Method Studios
Sound Engineer Paul le Couteur
Sound House Flagstaff Studios
Original Kombi ad
Director Mat Humphrey, Great Southern Films
Agency Grey Melbourne