Tre minuters magisk reklam om att sänka farten

Varje år omkommer 65 människor i trafiken i delstaten Western Australia. Under 2010 omkom 270 människor på svenska vägar; inget annat land har färre trafikdöda än Sverige. Men alla inser att ett förlorat liv är ett för mycket.

Hur får man då folk att ta det lite lugnare i trafiken? Genom åren har vi sett många reklamiska försök som har hjälpt föga. Men det verkar inte hindra reklambyrån 303 i Perth från att göra ytterligare ett försök tillsammans med Road Safety Council. Med budskapet Enjoy the Ride har de skapat en reklamfilm (på tre minuter!), annonser, utomhusreklam, radiospottar, affischer och en bok. Och istället för att använda skrämselpropaganda uppmanar man till att sakta ner – i trafiken och i livet. Det har visat sig ge fler positiva effekter, förutom ökad trafiksäkerhet såklart.

303-kreatörerna bakom kampanjen heter Dav Tabeshfar, copywriter; och
Richard Berney, art director. De har haft vänligheten att skicka hela manuset, så att du som läser den här bloggen ska kunna ta del av filmen både i ord och i bild.

If life’s a race, where’s the finish? And who are we competing with? Is there a prize for first place? Or do we just reach the end a little quicker? We’re only just skimming the surface of life, and we’re just not designed to go that fast. Sooner or later we crash.

To cope with this speeding life, our bodies release chemicals that activate our adrenal glands, increase our heart rate and raise our blood pressure. These responses cause us to grind our teeth, sleep poorly, crave fatty and sugary food, get headaches, feel stressed, get sick more often and lose our sex drive.

And in the long term? We’re in the fast lane to heart disease, diabetes, allergies, sexual dysfunction, digestive problems, bowel conditions, depression, anxiety, muscular pain… and a load of other stuff with names too long to remember.

But when we slow down, we discover that life has a natural pace. And it’s good. We slot into a groove that’s always been there. Life becomes richer. More pleasurable, and more fulfilling. We may do fewer things, but what we do, we do well.

We breathe. When was the last time you actually took time to breathe? Not just the shallow ticking over of your respiratory system. But to really breathe. Taking a long slow breath in to its comfortable conclusion, then letting it all out. And doing it again… and again… and again, until you are flooded with calm.
Imagine life lived in this zone.

So why haven’t we slowed down before? If you’re worried life will overtake you, you’re wrong. Life is where you are and what you’re doing right now… and now… and now.
Let’s say two cars take the same route. One speeds. The other relaxes and follows the speed limit. The speeder spends his trip tense – at risk of being caught by cops and cameras. The other is free to enjoy the ride. Sure the speeder gets to the lights first, only to be caught up by the guy going the right pace.

There’s one place where we can all enjoy life at the right pace. Treat your vehicle as a sanctuary. And shut your door on the world of speed. When you pull away, leave speed behind. If we fight traffic, we only ever lose. Besides, driving can be a pleasure, if we don’t treat life like a race. So slow down, and enjoy the ride.