NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi takes human approach to motorcycle safety in latest campaign via FCB Aotearoa and MBM
FCB, MBM and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) have launched their latest motorcycling safety campaign, aiming to motivate even the most seasoned riders to mitigate the risks on every ride.
The campaign features experienced riders from across the country talking openly about their own crashes, the near-catastrophic results and the lessons they lived to tell.
While the behavioural outtakes of the campaign are centred around riding with the right mindset, sober, rested, in the right gear and to the conditions, as well as doing rider training, it’s all in the name of shared growth and building a stronger safety culture. Each testimonial serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the profound impact of split-second decisions on the road.
People on motorcycles and mopeds are over-represented in deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads. The risk of death or serious injury to a motorcyclist in a crash is 21 times higher than a car driver travelling over the same distance.
Despite the unavoidable risk, (and sometimes because of it) riders love to ride – the enjoyment and freedom that comes with it is a form of self-care. This is a campaign for riders and hopes to ensure they can continue to do what they love whilst reminding them of the simple behaviours they can undertake to stay safe.
Says Alan Jones and Angelo An, creative directors at FCB Aotearoa: “There’s a lesson in every crash. This campaign is about getting riders to share those often-painful lessons to stop others from learning the same way. As one of our riders said; riding motorcycles is a beautiful experience, but if you get it wrong they can bite. This is the reality, and we didn’t want to shy away from it. Thank you to Tom Gould, in particular, for capturing this thought and elevating it with his know-how and craft. It was something special to watch.”
In the two TV spots, directed by Tom Gould and produced by Sweetshop, we are taken into the worlds of Rhys and Mathew – with decades of riding experience between them they reveal, in brutal honesty about their biggest learning on a bike, leaving viewers with no question about what can be done to avoid the same outcome. The campaign also features a suite of striking portraits, also shot by Tom Gould, featuring riders from different backgrounds, sharing simple pieces of advice, borne from their years of experience on the bike.
Says Phill Sherring, marketing manager at NZTA: “We believe in the power of authentic stories to connect with people and encourage change. By sharing the hard-won wisdom of these riders, we hope to instil a deeper understanding of what can happen. More importantly, we hope the campaign motivates riders to take the recommended safety precautions and to urge others to do the same.”
Launched nationwide from April 6th, this campaign leans into rider behaviour and culture to build out a story-led and dynamic media framework – designed to reach motorcyclists across multiple channels, with the right message at the right time.
For more information about the campaign and motorcycling safety please visit www.nzta.govt.nz.
Client: NZTA – Waka Kotahi
Agency: FCB Aotearoa
Chief Creative Officer: Leisa Wall
Chief Creative Officer: Peter Vegas
Creative Director: Alan Jones
Creative Director: Angelo An
Senior Producer: Natasha Gill/Sally Lankshear
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Tom Gould
Executive Producer: Ben Dailey
Producer: Larisa Tiffin
DOP: Ziga Zupancic
Offline editor: Mariano Segedin
Sound Design: Craig Matuschka | Liquid Studios
Composition: Copra Recordings
26 Comments
Love it. Hearty. Beautiful storytelling.
As biker this resonates with me.
Authentic, emotional and beautifully crafted. Nice one
It’s gr8 that more focus is being brought to motorcycling.
I still feel that other users of the road need to be aware of us.
How you do that I don’t know but I’ve ridden for over 40 years and at present I feel like a target.
Regards
Diana.
My colleagues and I rode motorcycles at high speed in heavy traffic for years with just one serious injury accident that I’ve heard of.
We reason for our outstanding safety record was that we were well trained, and that training helped us survive the early learning stages until experience became the primary sutvival tool.
If we properly trained car drivers and bike riders most of them would survive too.
But when you have Police and NZTA senior staff saying training isn’t important because it makes drivers “over confident”, there is no hope.
Snoozefest
breaking new ground on an old problem…..pretty grading.
If NZTA spent half the money they spend revenue gathering on fixing our appalling roads .. we might have a different road safety outcome.
Tommy G nails it again.
This isn’t an NZ Herald Facebook post mate, it’s an advertising blog.
How does a seasoned rider pull the brake instead of the clutch? Sounds to me a little bit doctored..
Happen.
Nice to feel some genuine emotion in an advert. Respect.
Virtue signalling like the last waste of tax payer money perpetrated by LTSA. This stuff is just created so the LTSA can say they are doing something about safety and the agency are there as usual patting themselves on the back pretending that they are ‘saving lives’.
What saves lives is better roads, more policing, helicopters and doctors.
And what about doing more with all the distracted people in cars who often not paying attention and often the cause of crashes involving bikes? Should run a campaign aimed at car drivers as well
Kind of predictable. But anyway… just another day, another dull ad campaign.
Wonderful. Getting riders to understand and hopefully focus on riding.
The ACC also do the Ride Forever course.
One way to reduce motor bike AND other road accidents is to make the equivalent of the Ride Forever course compulsory within one year of licence renewal for ALL road users.
In effect a refresher course fof all drivers that brings them back to good and therefore safe doing habits.
We pay top dollar to register our bike and wof , like cig smoking the rise is a put off ,, its paying it forward so we get the treatment we need to repair our bodies when a mistake is made by others or fatigue, the traffic that’s on the road today is greater than these people
Experienced ,,good on them for the newbies,, but really is this free or a charge,, thanks,,
The price to register a large bike for our roads is far beyond excessive,scooters and inexperienced children riding scooters and quads is what ACC says pushes levies up,$600 to register a large bike,put the money into fixing the roads so our roads are safe for our bikes,
Same old story, when it’s the CAR drivers that need educating!
I’ve been writing for over 40 years 10 of them racing My foot got smashed up because the concrete in the road was cracked and left it up and almost killed us just the lack of road maintenance
Google Saccadic Masking, watch videos.
Everyone should know about this.
Some great messaging there, definitely however, there is the major issue that I believe needs to be addressed also…. A large portion of NZ roads that Waka Kotahi are responsible for are not fit for purpose.
Tar bleed – one of the leading reason for motorcycle incidents.
Potholes – the same ones over and over.
New seal disintegrating almost straight away.
Loose metal never swept from roads.
Direction for tourists arrows painted in corners 😱
When are the the people responsible for these roads and Waka Kotahi’s huge budget going to be held accountable for. Motorcycle accidents for these long time known roading faults?
Terrible road conditions and worst, vehicle drivers not checking distance, speed and generally not paying attention to other road users.
Would like to see my registration fees adressing these issues insread of mostly putting the blame on riders.
Riders as a rule have a good understanding of how vulnerable we are.
Raymond nails it. More virtue signalling. I am just getting my bike fixed after a low speed crash , .1.5 K’s an hour approx on a 45k corner, huge mounds of gravel on the bend. Just about saved it but alas. Front wheel tucked under when hitting more gravel , dirt & vegetation growing against the barrier after years of neglect.
Both riders drink involved; one going too fast to a party, bad overtake. Secong guy hung over with brake/clutch brain fade…In my experience four wheeled vehicles have caused me the most grief…I have no problem with road surface because I am always scanning…