This Child Safety PSA Can Be Washed, Folded and Seen Every Week

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. [kickout id="3"] “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. [kickout id="2"] 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. [kickout id="1"] 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