TAC Seatbelt Campaign Wins National Award

29 Jul 2011

MEDIA RELEASE: 29th July 2011

A Transport Accident Commission (TAC) campaign which reminded Victorians about the importance of wearing a seatbelt has won an Australasian Sponsorship Award.

Announced in Sydney last night, the Seatbelts Campaign was honored in the Best Cause-Related Sponsorship category.

The campaign, which ran in August last year and concluded with the AFL's Road Safety Round, marked the 40th anniversary of the introduction of compulsory seatbelts in Victoria.

The TAC designed the campaign to increase compliance, save lives, and reinforce the importance to both drivers and passengers of wearing a seatbelt at all times.

Essendon Football Club's ruckman David Hille was the face of the campaign which also saw his team, Melbourne Victory, TAC Cup and VFL teams change their traditional playing strips for the first time to feature a seatbelt.

Hille and Melbourne Victory star Adrian Leijer also featured in television, print, radio and online advertising, where the key message was; 'Belt up or suffer the pain'.

TAC Senior Manager of Road Safety and Marketing, John Thompson, was thrilled to win the national award and hoped the campaign resonated with all Victorian motorists.

"While it is always pleasing to be recognized, what's more important for us is that Victorians saw this campaign and remembered to wear their seatbelt," Mr Thompson.

"We designed this campaign to highlight the success of the seatbelt legislation, honor the Victorians who introduced it, and recognize the impact it has made in saving thousands of lives."

Research shows in the event of a crash, wearing a seatbelt reduces the probability of being killed by 40-50 per cent for drivers and front seat passengers, and 25 per cent for rear seat passengers.

"But still, a quarter of drivers and passengers killed in Victoria each year are not restrained properly – that's about 50 people per year," Mr Thompson said.

In addition to the involvement of the AFL, A-League, AFL Victoria and TAC Cup, during the campaign the TAC re-ran three memorable seatbelt commercials on television and produced broadcast and print advertisements which featured the line "40 years' ago, something clicked."

To win the award, the TAC beat three other finalists including the National Australia Bank, NRMA, and South Australia's Motor Accident Commission.

For further information please contact Sarah Henderson on 0429 294 262.