Australian Train Safety PSA Features Impossibly Catchy ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ Song

Melbourne Metro Trains - Dumb Ways to Die

Most train safety PSAs rely on scare tactics to make people aware of the results of being careless around train tracks.

Melbourne Metro Trains, agency McCann Melbourne and Tangerine Kitty have taken a different approach, producing a catchy tune titled ‘Dumb Ways 2 Die‘. The song compares the stupidity of someone’poking a stick at a grizzly bear’, or ‘scratching a drug-dealer’s brand new ride’ with ‘standing at the edge of the train platform’ or ‘driving around the boom at a level crossing’.

The PSA features an assortment of cute, colourful risk-takers, who despite their horrific injuries, still manage to return to dance and sing their way through the catchy chorus.

Also included in the campaign is the Dumb Ways to Die website of safety tips, a Tumblr blog featuring animated clips, a Soundcloud posting featuring the song and a ringtone version.

Australia

Something Stinks Down Under. Babies Make the ‘Poop Face’ in Aussie Diaper Ad

Mamia Nappies - Baby Faces

Parents will no doubt recognize the strained look on the faces of these babies right away. The Australian ad from supermarket chain ALDI is promoting their Mamia brand of diapers, and their ability to be ready for anything at any time.

To get the best shots, the production team worked with 12 babies over the 2 day shoot, picking the best four ‘poop faces’.

What worries me now, is that I’m fairly sure I’ve seen a few of my friends make ‘that face’ too.

The TVC was created by ad agency BMF, and directed by Scott Pickett of Jungle Boys.

[via CampaignAsia]

Australia

Australian Artist Paints People to Create Illusion of Smashed Car

MAC - Body Crash

You probably already seen the work of Australian, body-painting artist Emma Hack. She painted singers Gotye and Kimbea for the video of worldwide hit song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know‘.

Recently, Emma collaborated with advertising agency Clemenger BBDO and Motor Accident Commission of South Australia for a project called ‘Body Crash’.

She, and her team transformed 17 nearly nude bodybuilders, models and acrobats into the illusion of a crashed car. The 5 women and 12 men were carefully positioned and covered with up to 5 layers of a body paint during the 18 hour shoot.

The campaign hopes to bring attention to the serious consequences of even low-level speeding.

[via CarBuzz]

Australia

Australian Anti-Speeding Campaign Uses Pinterest for Funeral Planning Inspiration

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC)“Slowing down won’t kill you” is the main message behind a new road safety campaign by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in the Australian province of Victoria.

With stats showing that the high-risk driving habits of young men (ages 21-26) puts them at 50 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident, the TAC along with agency Grey Melbourne decided to target their campaign to the mothers, sisters, wives and girlfriends of this age group. Since research had shown that women can act as a positive influence on men’s driving habits, they turned to Pinterest with it’s 80% female user base.

The Pinterest boards are titled ‘How to Plan a Funeral‘ and contain images of things to consider when planning a funeral, including catering, churches, flowers, what to wear, and eulogy inspiration. The final board contains the message ‘I’d Hate to Plan Your Funeral’ and videos featuring the stories of people who have lost their lives in car crashes caused by careless driving.

The Pinterest campaign will run in conjunction with these videos, as well a video featuring a remake of The Cure’sPictures of You‘ (embedded below) performed by Australian singer/songwriter Angie Hart (former vocalist of Frente!).

[via mUmBRELLA and TAC Media Release]

Australia

Thirsty? Nominate Your Neighbourhood for an OAK Milk Reverse Robbery

OAK Milk Reverse Robberies

On Tuesday, an intriguing post the OAK Milk Facebook page stated, “We’ve got a plan to put OAK in every fridge in the country. It involves latex gloves. And no safety word. Come back tomorrow.” Intriguing… and maybe a little unsettling.

Yesterday, the brand revealed that they were prepared to stage ‘Reverse Robberies’, stocking a Facebook fan’s local store with OAK milk and put an end to ‘HungryThirsty’ in another neighbourhood. Participants can win $150 of OAK Milk if their neighbourhood is chosen.

Wondering what ‘HungryThirsty’ is all about? And, who the rubber masks are supposed to look like? Check out the first ad from the campaign, first released last October, featuring a character known as Sargeant John Henry, said to be based on Ben Kingsley’s ‘Sexy Beast‘ character, Don Logan.

The video comes from Sydney creative agency The Monkeys.

[via AdRants]

Australia

Lego Celebrates 50 Years in Australia with Top Ten Aussie Moments

Lego Australia - Top ten moments

[photo by Mike Stimpson]

Although the Lego company first launched in Denmark in 1932 (the plastic blocks we know today first appeared in 1949), it took til August 1962 for the colourful bricks to make their way down under in Australia.

50 Years later, Lego is celebrating with ‘Festival of Play‘, a nine month schedule of activities from April to December, taking place both online and in the real world.

Just to clarify, the real world is that place where you find that last piece of missing Lego… at 3am… in barefeet.

The latest online part of Festival of Play launched in early July, with Lego inviting Australians to vote on their favorite moments from the last 50 years. In August, after receiving nearly 14,000 votes, the top 10 was finalized, and UK photographer Mike Stimpson was tasked with recreating these iconic moments using Lego Minifigures.

The Top 10 Moments in reverse chronological order are:

  • Australian racehorse Black Caviar undefeated in 22 races (2012)
  • Cadel Evans wins Tour de France (2011)
  • Steve Irwin feeds a crocodile with one hand while cradling his baby son in the other (2004)
  • Steven Bradbury wins gold in the men’s 1,000m speed skating at the Winter Olympics (2002)
  • Nikki Webster stars in the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics (2000)
  • Cathy Freeman wins gold in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics (2000)
  • The Castle film receives widespread acclaim (1997)
  • America’s Cup victory for Australia ends US domination (1983)
  • Mad Max, an Australian post-apocalyptic film starring Mel Gibson, is released (1979)
  • Sydney Opera House opens (1973)

View the entire Creating History gallery.

Australia

Hyundai Partners with Spotify for ‘Break Free Playlist’ Facebook App

Hyundai i30 Break Free PlaylistBack in June, Hyundai Australia released Break Free, a fun TV ad featuring characters sing/speaking the words to Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’.

This week the car maker is launching the ‘i30 Break Free Dedicate and Win‘ campaign on their Facebook page, leveraging Spotify, which launched across Australia on May 21.

To win 1 of 150 Spotify premium subscriptions, fans are asked to dedicate their favorite ‘Break Free’ driving tune to one of their Facebook friends. Fans can search the Spotify database directly from the Facebook app, or choose from one of the pre-selected tracks.

The campaign will run til November 9, but the Top 5 tracks so far are:
1. All Right Now – Free
2. I Want to Break Free – Queen
3. Set You Free – The Black Keys
4. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty

The campaign was put together by Innocean Australia.

[via B&T]

Australia

ING Direct Brings Music Performance to Sydney Ferry Commuters

ING Direct Australia - Spend your morning well

I’m just coming back from a week’s vacation, and I’m thinking what better way to ease back into the morning commute than a performance of ‘Pure Imagination‘, one of my favorite songs from Willy Wonka.

As part of their ‘Spend Your Life Well’ campaign, ING Direct Australia sponsored this performance by jazz vocalist Briana Cowlishaw and string quartet Opus 4 on the ferry to Circular Quay in Sydney Harbour.

I’ve previously posted a few other orchestral flash mobs (if we’re still calling them that), including one on the Copenhagen Metro by members of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and a performance by Orchestra Simfònica del Vallès in Sabadell, Spain in celebration of Banco Sabadell’s 130th anniversary.

[via mUmBRELLA]

Australia

Hyundai Australia Recruits Lauryn Eagle for ‘Sexy Gets Angry’ Campaign

Hyundai Australia 'Sexy Gets Angry'

Australian Celebrity Apprentice star, Maxim cover girl and championship boxer Lauryn Eagle stars in a new ‘Sexy Gets Angry’ campaign promoting the Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo.

The video is a cool mix of animation and video that may remind some people of the movie ‘Sin City’. As Lauryn is leaving the boxing gym, she runs into a jewel thief looking for a fast car for a getaway. Soon they are speeding through the city, until a distraction and a solid punch launches the thief out of the car. What happens next is up to the viewer. Should she turn in the jewels to the police, or head for the airport? Or should she donate it all to charity?

Viewers are invited over to the Hyundai Australia Facebook page where they can enter, “What should Lauryn do next with the jewels? Tell us in 50 words or less.”

The top 3 entries win a Veloster SR Turbo Track Day at Eastern Creek Raceway with Lauryn and a professional driver.

The Sexy Gets Angry campaign was created by Innocean Australia.

Australia

Carlton Draught Beer Ad Features Epic ‘Car-less’ Car Chase

Carlton Draught Beer Chase

Australia’s Carlton Draught is no stranger to producing fun and innovative ad campaigns including the ridiculously epic ‘Big Ad’, the dance-tabulous ‘Flashbeer’, and the 3 minute long ‘Slo Mo’.

The beermaker’s latest ad is a homage those endless car chases of 80s cop movies and tv shows, except for one crucial factor: there’s no cars involved. A gang chooses the wrong bar to celebrate their most recent bank robbery. Soon the chase is on, and nobody including the police want to put their beers down.

If you’re scratching your head and wondering what that song is, it’s ‘Thunder In Your Heart‘ by Australian pop-singer (and lead vocalist of Little River Band 1980-85) John Farnham.

The ad was created by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne