Results and Effectiveness

Statistics showed CityGT was: • downloaded more than 30,000 times in its first month • ranked in the top three hottest-Apps on iTunes • featured for six weeks on iTunes as one of the hottest Apps • ranked as the second top free racing App • one of 2009’s most popular free-Apps in the Australian iTunes store. Media analysis: • CityGT made headlines on major television networks, online newspapers (nationally and internationally) and thousands of social-media sites. • Estimated circulation of over 22.5 million people, far exceeding what would have been expected using traditional media with the same budget.

Creative Execution

We developed an iPhone driving game called CityGT, which was completely void of any VicRoads branding. Within it, we embedded a hidden safe driving message under the guise of the iPhone's functionality. Utilising the popularity of the iTunes App store, CityGT was uploaded to the driving game section, and was also launched via an installation at Melbourne's FedSquare. Using world first technology specifically developed for CityGT, people could connect their iPhones to the FedSquare big screen, and wirelessly play CityGT. In both versions of the game, while driving, the game is hijacked by by an unexpected phone call, and a pre-recorded message is delivered highlighting the dangers of talking on the mobile phone while driving. Regionally CityGT equipped smart cars toured local youth hotspots spreading VicRoads safe driving message throughout Victoria.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

The target audience was young drivers aged 18-25. Research showed that not only are young drivers over-represented in road crashes, but also have grown up with mobile-phones and are more reliant on them. Traditional messaging had time and again failed to attract their attention, and VicRoads was perceived by these drivers to be ‘old hat’ and out of touch with them. A generation of drivers who’ve grown up relying on technology, our strategy was to connect with them the way they connect with each other. To engage with them through a medium they were interested in and familiar with. The young audience is active on their phones. They are also into gaming. So we used these two things to leverage the idea and developed an iPhone driving game. Within it, we embedded a hidden safe driving message. This allowed VicRoads to communicate in a new and engaging way.