The Road Comes First
Samsung Electronics
Issue 30 | March 2014
Agency
Cheil Singapore
Creative Team
Creative Director Jimmy Lee Head Copywriter Christan Sow Junior Art Director Allan Zhuang User-Interface Designer Alvaro Bruch Jacinto Front-End Developer Tony Yun Ting Chew Back-End Developer Serene Xin Hui Lee F/A Artist Chin Peng Tay
Other Credits
Managing Director Nalla Chan Account Director Joyce Chen Account Executive Amanda Yue Ting Heng
Date
November 2013 – January 2014
Background
Studies found that a stunning 83 percent of Singapore drivers admitted to using their mobile phones while at the wheel, using GPS or map applications, checking their mobile phone screens or texting. Complacency seemed to be the root cause; the feeling that it was safe for them to do so.
Samsung wanted to encourage safer driving behaviour.
Idea
'Eyes on the Road' was a mobile app designed to encourage drivers to actively choose to drive more safely. All they had to do was open the app whenever they got into their cars. Using sensor fusion technology, the app detected
all movement above 20 km/hr and temporarily blocked all calls and text messages. All social media alerts were automatically silenced so there were no distractions until the driver arrived at his or her destination. Auto-generated messages let friends and callers know the driver was at the wheel and could not be interrupted. After 10 minutes of idleness, the app automatically de-activated.
As well as removing distractions, the app calculated the mileage travelled to give drivers some sort of reward for their safer driving habits.
RESULTS
The app was downloaded 729 times in the first weeks of launch. So far, 12,706km has been driven in safety. In terms of free media, the campaign has generated buzz worth USD $160,366.68
Our Thoughts
I had only just finished writing a comment on another ‘Don’t text and drive’ campaign (in the Integrated section on pages 100-101) when this popped up. Where AT&T used a documentary film to get across the consequences of a crash, Samsung have concentrated on finding a solution through technology. Using sensor fusion technology, it is very neat though it does require drivers to opt in. As yet, most of Singapore’s 500,000+ motorists have yet to download the app. But these are early days and client and agency are both to be applauded for an innovative creative solution to a serious problem.