TBWA\Chiat\Day New York work with Psyop on a series of beautifully animated shorts for Travelers Insurance
Travelers Insurance, a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business, today released a powerful new campaign that honours real victims of distracted driving by bringing their unfinished stories to life through a series of animated short films. Distracted driving is a growing epidemic that kills at least nine people a day and injures over 1,000 people each day in the US alone. While many campaigns focus on the distracted driver, this one instead advocates for the victims. Travelers looked at true stories of lives cut short by distracted driving and worked closely with the victims’ families to imagine what might have been. 'Unfinished Stories' envisions those potential future chapters had the driver not been distracted and the tragic accidents avoided.
“This project has been a labour of love for all of us,” said Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York. “Everyone who has participated in the creation has had a deeply emotional experience, and we are honored to share these stories.”
Launching today, the first film in the series, 'The Route', envisions the unfinished story of Phillip LaVallee, an avid runner and track star at the South Dakota State University who, at age 19, was out for his daily run when he was struck from behind and killed by a distracted driver. The film begins with an interview with his parents, who speak fondly about how their son was friends with everyone, even the mailman who he passed each day during his run. They also speak of his dream to compete in the 2018 Olympics in Rio, a goal he was serious about achieving. 'The Route' then completes Phillip’s story by animating it as it could have played out, while underscoring the incalculable loss of potential that comes with the loss of his life, as well as all those killed by distracted driving.
Additional films launching in the coming weeks will tell the story of Shreya Dixit, age 19, and of Howard Stein, age 61, who were also killed by distracted drivers. Each film will have a distinct animation style that best captures their stories.
With roadway fatalities at alarmingly high levels, the Travelers Institute Every Second Matters distracted-driving initiative recognises that every driver, passenger, cyclist and pedestrian have a role to play in changing social norms around distraction. Launched in 2017, this national education campaign is working to help reduce distracted driving, while empowering drivers to set positive examples for roadway safety.