DfT changes tack in new Think! campaign

By Matt Williams, campaignlive.co.uk, Monday, 01 March 2010 12:00PM

LONDON - A £3.5 million integrated advertising campaign urging car drivers to look out for motorbikes sees the Department for Transport switch tactics from depicting crashes to humanising the bike riders.

Dft: latest campaign targets bikers

Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, the new work aims to encourage drivers to think more often about people riding motorcycles when on the road, by taking a closer look at the person under the helmet.

This is portrayed through a TV ad, which shows bikers with flashing neon signs attached to their motorcycles.

The signs show the name of the rider, and a short description about their personality or lifestyle, such as "Dave - new dad", or "Tom - shy, retiring type".

In each situation, a car driver goes to pull out of a junction or lane without looking, before spotting the motorbike and its neon signs.

The new campaign has been created following research which showed drivers are much more likely to notice motorcyclists on the roads if they personally know a biker.

This is particularly reflected in the campaign's strapline: "Think Bike. Think Biker".

The TV spot, which breaks tonight during 'Coronation Street' on ITV1, will be supported by poster and radio executions, as well as through a Facebook page and a branded YouTube channel.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk