Crashed Car Showroom
NRMA Insurance
Issue 31 | June 2014
Agency
Whybin\TBWA Sydney
Creative Team
?Executive Creative Directors Matty Burton Dave Bowman Creative Director Peter Galmes National Digital Creative Director Russ Tucker Art Director Richard Shaw Writer Jonathon Owens
Production Team
Event production Alfred 3d Development Engine Fin Design Sound development Nylon Installation development Big Kahuna Imagineering
Other Credits
Design Chris Mawson Razif Djamaluddin Account Director Thijs van Dam Associate Executive Producer Sean Gardner Creative Technologist Ben X Tan Tech development Kiyo Nishimura David Valderrama Digital Producer Chris Smyth Executive Planning Director Hristos Varouhas
Date
March 2014
Background
2014 started with more deaths on Australian roads than ever before and followed a year when the road toll reached almost 2,000 people. NRMA Insurance, the country's largest insurer, wanted people to start thinking about car safety before it was too late. To make car safety a national priority, they set out to get people to reappraise the cars they drive and buy cars for their safety ratings rather than for their cosmetic features (like colour) which determined the majority of purchases.
Idea
The Crashed Car Showroom was opened in central Sydney, an interactive experience that demonstrated to visitors the importance of car safety ratings.
It was filled with crashed cars, each of which had been turned into a custom- built digital experience using data from decades of crash tests and over 50 million insurance claims. An Oculus Rift simulator let people crash test different cars, showing how the safety rating could save their life. A dissected car filled with NFC chips explained essential safety features. Projection mapping showed collision damage. Eye-tracking technology demonstrated advanced braking systems. A hail gun, which consumers could fire, encouraged them to test car materials. The entire showroom was replicated online to reach a wider audience.
Results
The Crashed Car Showroom put car safety back on the national agenda earning 46,000,000 media impressions, appearing on national TV news for over 11 minutes, on 127 radio stations and in every national newspaper – that's enough impressions for every Australian to have experienced the campaign twice.
930,000 people visited the showroom and nearly three times that number visited online. Social media reached a further 5,200,000 people. Importantly it started a media debate on road safety, putting it top of mind for every Australian and influencing consumer behaviour. It also changed perception of NRMA. Nothing could have done the brand more good than showing it cared about the safety of every Australian.
Our Thoughts
This is brilliant marketing. Just think about it. You only ever consider car insurance once a year and when you do it is with a groan. It feels like handing over money for nothing. Insurance companies themselves are regarded as rapacious and faceless. So, to demonstrate why
car insurance exists at all (to help pay for the damage) and in a way that educates people about the everyday risks on the road is no mean feat.
On top of all that, to build an impression of a brand that genuinely cares for the welfare of those it insures is seriously impressive.
It’s also a fine example of how agencies are learning to collaborate if they are to do their jobs properly. No fewer than four other specialist companies have been credited by Whybin\TBWA as having helped them put together this campaign.