One of the many issues that arise when raising children is the use of booster seats in vehicles. There are clear laws and instructions regarding when a child should be using the seat. While age and weight play a role, height is the primary indicator of when a child restraint should be used. Yet, as kids grow, parents sometimes erroneously move them out of the seats, putting them at risk of serious injury.
To help clarify when a car seat should be used, CHE Proximity in Australia—working with a local auto club and accident commission—used a decidedly low-tech approach: T-shirt tags. Designed alongside existing care instructions on clothing, the simple icon of a smiling booster seat is a clear signal for parents to keep children between 108 cm and 145 cm (from 3.5 feet to just over 4.5 feet) tall in a booster. Usually, parents assume that age 7 is the time to switch.
“This campaign is about arming parents with simple and clear information to help them protect their most precious cargo,” said Samantha Cockfield, lead director of road safety for the Transport Accident Commission insurance company, one of the clients of the project along with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.
The open-source IP is currently being printed on children’s clothing from manufacturers Myer, Oobi, Minti and Little Horn. However, any brand can use the icon, and more will be announced soon. According to CHE Proximity creative director Amy Weston, there is also a grassroots movement among schools and sporting clubs to incorporate the tag into uniforms.
The idea of the tag morphed from a very simple kernel in the creative brief. Initially, the clients asked for a radio PSA to educate parents about child booster seat safety.
“But we thought that there was an opportunity to provide a solution that not only informed parents but actually had the potential to change long-term behavior,” said Weston.
In getting to the final idea, the team considered creative walkabouts as well as high-tech concepts like augmented reality, including height charts and signage for car doors. Ultimately, though, the idea that became most clear was one hiding in plain sight, according to CHE Proximity creative director Chris Andrews.
“There aren’t many PSAs that get washed, folder and re-seen every week,” he said.
CREDITS
RACV
General Manager, Marketing & Membership: Laura Wilson
Senior Marketing Manager: Kate Peters
Senior Policy Advisor: Elvira Lazar
Head of Media & Communications: Brodie Bott
TAC
Partnership Manager: Candice McDonald
Lead Director, Road Safety: Sam Cockfield
Senior Road Safety Specialist: David Young
Manager of Media and Communications: Nicolas McGay
Media and Communications Advisor: Alex White
Creative Agency: CHE Proximity
Chief Creative Officer: Ant White
Executive Creative Director: Glen Dickson
Creative Directors: Amy Weston and Chris Andrews
Senior Copywriter: Deb Frenkel
Design Lead: Tim McPherson
Head of Design: Trent Roberts
Senior Digital Designer: Adam Lord
Senior UX Designer: Stephen Genoglou
Director, Strategic Production: Holly Alexander
Producer: Elena Szymanski
Sound Engineer: Matt Thompson
Online Editor: Cassy Vincent
Social Creatives: Matt Bladin, Phoebe Sloane and Genevieve Brown
