| Title | THE RIDERLESS BIKE |
| Brand | STEVE WAUGH FOUNDATION |
| Product / Service | THE CAPTAIN'S RIDE |
| Category | B07. Use of Technology |
| Entrant | HAVAS AUSTRALIA Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Idea Creation | HAVAS AUSTRALIA Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Media Placement | HAVAS MEDIA AUSTRALIA Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| PR | RED AGENCY Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Production | HAVAS AUSTRALIA Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Production 2 | FINCH Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Production 3 | THE EDITORS Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Production 4 | ROTOR WORKS Brookvale, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Zac Pritchard | Havas Sydney | Copywriter |
| Damian Galvin | Havas Sydney | Art Director |
| Stu Turner | Havas Sydney | Executive Creative Director |
| Seamus Higgins | Havas Sydney | Executive Creative Director |
| Bohdi Lewis | Havas Sydney | Digital Strategy Director |
| Lawrence Pretty | Havas Sydney | Senior Account Manager |
| Carly Pelham | Havas Sydney | Account Director |
| Harriet Tahtouh | Havas Sydney | Broadcast Producer |
| Angelica Scott | Havas Sydney | Digital Producer |
| Nic Adamovich | Havas Sydney | Senior Designer |
| Darren Cole | Havas Sydney | Head of Design |
| Josh Bryer | Havas Sydney | Digital Creative Director |
| Gustavo Vampre | Havas Sydney | Digital Creative Director |
| Clint Crothers | Havas Sydney | Digital Design Director |
| Adam Shutler | Havas Sydney | UX & Design Director |
| Peter Segerer | Havas Sydney | Digital Executive Producer |
| Dena Mohamed | Havas Sydney | Social Media Producer |
| Kelvin Saik | FINCH | Director |
| Vicki Saik | Havas | FINCH |
| Amy Dymond | FINCH | Producer |
| Corey Esse | FINCH | Executive Producer |
| Emad Tahtouh | FINCH | Director of Applied Technology |
| Patrick Barnes | FINCH | Senior Applied Technologist |
| Albert Woffenden | FINCH | Applied Technologist |
| Hamish Pain | FINCH | Applied Technologist |
| Hazel Gibson | FINCH | Producer |
| Cara Szabo | FINCH | Production Assistant |
| Grace Eyre | The Editors | Editor |
| James Wright | Red Agency | CEO |
| Nick Day | Red Agency | Senior Account Manager |
We created the world’s first Riderless Bike – A fully autonomous children’s bicycle that followed the peloton of the Captain’s Ride. The bike streamed a live feed of the ride from the seat of the bike through a 360 camera; allowing children with Rare Diseases and the public to watch the ride unfold live. People could also sponsor the bike for a part of the ride, and were notified by email as the bike passed through their section.
The Riderless Bike launched with a teaser video two weeks before the ride, generating unprecedented awareness and enthusiasm across Australia. Leaving Goulburn, NSW on the 29th October, setting out on the 700km journey through NSW before arriving in Mt Kosciuszko on the 3rd November 2016. The Riderless Bike used an infrared tracking beacon to follow the last rider in the peloton, adjusting its speed and direction as the peloton moved along the road. Children and members of the public could experience the ride for themselves through a 360 camera that was relayed live to the website and to the Steve Waugh Foundation Facebook page. People were encouraged to sponsor the ride online, and they were notified as the bike passed through their area. It helped raise more than $1 million in donations, but most importantly, it helped make people aware of the thousands of children in Australia affected by Rare
The Riderless Bike travelled 700km on the Captain’s Ride on the 29th October to the 2rd November 2016, generating more than 552 articles in TV, Radio, Press and online publications. We reached more than 190 Million Australians, and witnessed a 150% increase on website traffic compared to the previous year. Donations rose by 237% on the previous year, raising more than $1 million for children with Rare Diseases.
Ultimately a fundraising campaign for children with Rare Diseases, our objective for the 2016 Captain's Ride was to attract a new audience of Australian's and encourage them to donate to the foundation. The Riderless Bike prompted people to donate by sponsoring a part of the route, which they were then notified about as the bike passed through that area. Children with Rare Diseases could also become part of the ride as they streamed the view of the ride from the seat of the bike.
Our aim was to lead with a huge PR awareness campaign, receiving a mass amount of earned media through some of Australia’s leading broadcast, print, online, local and trade publications, targeting all Australians (particularly NSW residents on the route of the ride) aged 18+. This promoted the Riderless Bike, but also raised the profile of the Steve Waugh Foundation and more importantly, the Captain’s Ride. We directed people to a campaign-landing page where they could learn about the Riderless Bike through an explanatory video and even sponsor the bike for part of the ride. We would then notify the user when the bike passed through their section. Every day we live streamed footage of the ride from the seat of the bike thanks to a 360 camera. We also raised awareness in each major town as people lined the streets to watch the Riderless Bike pass through the area.