| Title | BLOOD OATH |
| Brand | TRANSPORT ACCIDENT COMMISSION |
| Product / Service | MY BLOOD OATH |
| Category | B05. Public Service, Charity & Fund Raising |
| Entrant | GREY MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company: | GREY MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| Sales Promotion/Advertising Agency: | GREY MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Knox | Grey | Executive Creative Director |
| Nigel Dawson | Grey | Creative Director |
| Peter Becker | Grey | Art Director |
| Nigel Dawson | Grey | Copywriter |
| Jess Smith | Grey | Agency Producer |
| Randal Glennon | Grey | General Manager |
| Marisa Jones | Grey | Account Director |
| Bec Steward | Grey | Snr Account Manager |
| John Thompson | Transport Accident Commission | |
| Candice Mcdonald | Transport Accident Commission | |
| Mathew Mccaughey | The Pound | Director |
| Antony Alekna | The Pound | Director |
| Fiona Mcgregor | The Pound | Production Co Producer |
| The Pound | Production Company/Post Production Company | |
| Robert Horslie | Editor | |
| Rodney Lowe | Gas Inc | Sound Engineer |
| Jeremy Krause | Gee Multimedia | Digital |
| Shannon Smith | Gee Multimedia | Digital |
| Kerrie Spaargaren | Graffiti | Director |
| Rebecca Van Damme | Graffiti | Account Manager |
Young drivers are heavily over-represented in road trauma. For years the Transport Accident Commission has confronted them with hard-hitting emotive campaigns. This time we wanted to put the power into their own hands by asking them to publicly swear a Blood Oath on Facebook to slow down and look out for their mates. By harnessing young males’ passion for Australian football the campaign aimed to not only get them to swear, but also to enlist the active support of local clubs to propagate the message.
The Scott twins are very well-known AFL football coaches who embody the idea of mateship. They spearheaded the main media campaign that launched on TV and drove people to Facebook to swear a Blood Oath. Blood Oath was then activated at AFL games in front of 80,000 people with run-through banners, cheers squads and promotions. Other sponsors including Coke and Ford were also enlisted. Local football clubs were also contacted online and encouraged to enlist as many oaths among their players and supporters as possible. Cash prizes were awarded to the clubs with the most oaths.
The TAC endorsed Blood Oath as a success beyond their expectations. The promotion and idea of looking out for one’s mates lives on in local clubs who continue to actively promote the message. 995 of 1163 (85%) of local clubs took part. There were 2,169,357 interactions over a three week period. Over 68,000 people participated on Facebook. The value of the coverage in the media added some $600,000 to the campaign. Blood Oath contributed to a record low Victorian road toll in 2011.
Australian Football is a passion amongst all Victorians. The concept of mateship, looking out for your friends, runs deep in the Australian psyche. Blood Oath brought the two together. Local footy clubs have a deep commitment to looking after their members and supporters. It was a natural fit. Using a peer-to-peer approach, instead of the expected hard-hitting TAC messages, was particularly relevant to a group whose friends are central to their lives.