North Sydney Council Releases Power Ballad / Rap Video About Road Safety

A thriving commercial hub, North Sydney sees 62,000 pedestrians rush to negotiate its streets and crossings every day. With the aim to promote improved street safety in the busy business district, North Sydney Council has launched ‘Take a Look Around’, a public safety social media awareness campaign.

Created by Engine Room Productions, the brief from North Sydney Council was to maximise cut-through and craft a memorable message in an effort to reduce accidents and injuries in the bustling area, using humour and music to convey a serious message with lasting impact.

To deliver on the brief, Engine Room was able to draw on the Red Engine Group, which also includes agency Red Engine SCC and sound house Red Note. The creative seed originated around the form of a tongue-in-cheek power ballad. The campaign took shape as an original composition merging the genres of kitschy pop ballad and cautionary urban rap.

Engine Room Productions’ own Damien Cassar, director and lead creative, penned the lyrics with verses crooned by Steve Peach, music composer and creative director at sound house Red Note. Shot in and around North Sydney, the film features comedienne Fran Middleton’s rap stylings and the acting talents of Jon Vontolken as ‘power ballad guy’. 

A playful song with a serious message, the creative theme centres around the idea of “take a look around", encouraging people to be more aware of their surroundings and the hazards inherent in the modern urban landscape. 

Damien says: “Respect to North Sydney Council for daring to be different in the communication of an important message. The Red Engine Group was located in North Sydney for four years and witness to dangerous pedestrian behaviour on its streets. This is an important campaign and although we’ve used music, nostalgia and laughter as a vehicle, we hope the message cuts through.”

“This campaign is a great example of what the Red Engine Group does best – working together in a harmonised collaboration between production, music, strategy and creative,” he adds.