Clemenger BBDO and TAC Create Toy Ad With Grim Twist

Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Clemenger BBDO (Clems) have created a new toy-themed campaign encouraging people to ride e-scooters safely. The stop-motion films feature a cast of toy characters riding e-scooters recklessly with devastating consequences.

The campaign, ‘If you think e-scooters are a toy, think again’, boldly reframes the misconceptions that e-scooters are fun and frivolous ‘toys’ when in reality they’re a powerful device with serious consequences.   

Clems worked with award-winning animation studio Mighty Nice to create the films, featuring a cast of toy characters riding e-scooters unsafely around different Melbourne streetscapes. The moment the toys crash, they transition into real people with very real and painful injuries.  

The films and radio also feature a catchy toy-style jingle which was created with Squeak E. Clean Studios. In radio, each spot begins as upbeat toy commercials before taking a sombre turn.  

Senior copywriter, Ellie Dunn, says “We wanted to shock e-scooter riders into reality. Going from joyful toy world to painful reality achieves this in a bold way. It’s been a brilliant campaign to be part of.” 

Clems chief creative officer Adrian Flores added, “We’re always looking for the talkability factor in our work. Twisting classic toy tropes to create an arresting campaign about e-scooter safety creates a distinctive mnemonic that lives on in people’s minds.” 

The campaign comes after the TAC insights revealed that a large portion of e-scooter users are still deliberately taking risks and choosing to ignore the rules. And that young people (16-34 years), and males in particular, are the most likely to engage in dangerous e-scooter riding and rule-breaking behaviour. 

“Right now, too many e-scooter riders are underestimating the serious risk of injury. Through this campaign, we are asking all Victorians to do the right thing every time they ride an e-scooter. With the festive season fast approaching, it’s also a good opportunity to remind parents and guardians to reconsider buying an e-scooter as a present for children under the legal age of 16 years,” said Jacqui Sampson, Executive General Manager Community, TAC.

The campaign will run until 26 January 2025 across online video, social, digital and radio.