The Brief

2014 started with more deaths on Australian roads than ever before and followed a year when the road toll reached almost 2,000 people. As the country’s largest insurer we wanted people to start thinking about car safety before it was too late. Using digital installations we got people reappraise the cars they drive and buy based on safety ratings, rather than cosmetic features (like colour) which we know determine a majority of purchases. We also needed to generate leads and drive sales. Our audience was car owners, especially people currently in the car market or driving older cars.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We opened the Crashed Car Showroom, a digital exhibition demonstrating the importance of car safety ratings. A display of crashed cars delivered our message, each one becoming an interactive digital installation built using data from decades of crash tests and over 50 million insurance claims. Each experience gave people actionable safety advice. The entire showroom was replicated online to reach a wider audience. Every visitor, both online and onsite was a potential lead. We incentivised them to sign-up for insurance with free in-car phone holders, defensive driving courses and the one-off interactive digital experience.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The biggest result was the number of people we helped be safer on the road. The event saw 930,000 people in foot traffic, with 21% getting a free in-car phone holder or signing-up to switch insurance to win a defensive driving course. The online showroom was visited by three times as many people. Social media reached over 5,200,000 people. Plus the showroom earned 46,000,000 media impressions, appearing on national TV news for 11 minutes, on 127 radio stations and in every national newspaper – that’s enough media for every Australian to experience the exhibition twice. The ROI was over 450%.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Built using decades of our own data the experience gave people a first-hand demonstration of car safety, rather than simply saying it. An Oculus Rift simulator let people crash test cars with different safety ratings, showing how the rating can save their life. A dissected car filled with NFC chips explained essential safety features. Projection mapping showed collision damage. Eye-tracking technology demonstrated braking systems. A hail gun consumers could fire tested the strength of car materials. To drive leads the showroom emphasised the importance of quality insurance and showed safer cars equal lower premiums. Two further incentives encouraged sign-up.