The 'Virtual Crash Billboard’ conceived by Serviceplan France for la Sécurité Routière in Ile-de-France, has received its 13th internationally recognised award: a Care Award. This prize, organised by Act Responsible and the EACA, rewards annually the best communication campaigns designed to protect people, resources and the environment.
Following on from Cannes Lions, the Clio Awards, D&AD Impact, Epica Awards, and the Data and Creativity award, this latest award further confirms the overwhelming success of an operation to reduce the number of people killed and injured as a result of pedestrians crossing the road carelessly, which numbers 4,500 a year in the Paris region alone. The 'Virtual Crash Billboard’ is an interactive digital billboard equipped with a movement detector, camera and loudspeaker, which was positioned temporarily in an accident hotspot close to a crossing in Paris last March. Each time a pedestrian crossed the road on a red light, the screen emitted the sound of screeching tyres, and photographed the surprised and shocked faces of the pedestrians.
This photo then became a poster designed in real time with the slogan: "Don’t risk staring death in the face. Cross carefully at the traffic lights.”
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