Tom's Story
To foster meaningful behaviour change among young drivers, the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, in partnership with The Brand Agency, launched "Tom's Story." This powerful campaign urges novice and provisional drivers in WA to take road safety seriously for themselves and their mates, by sharing the tragic story of 15-year-old Tom Saffioti.
CHALLENGE:
Shift the perception of novice and provisional drivers aged 17-22 in WA, a demographic often characterised by a sense of invincibility behind the wheel. While these young drivers value their newfound freedom, they frequently underestimate the critical risks associated with their first 6-12 months of solo driving – statistically the deadliest period of any driver's life. The campaign sought to move beyond simply explaining rules to instil a profound sense of responsibility, making them understand the weight of being a driver and the potential consequences for themselves and their passengers.
SOLUTION:
"Tom's Story" campaign was developed with a two-layered approach designed to first create emotional awareness and then drive tangible action:
Layer 1 (Awareness): Share Tom's story to encourage young drivers to embrace greater responsibility for their own safety and that of their mates. Employing an emotionally powerful and raw tone, this phase utilised broad-reach channels including online video, social media, and audio placements. The campaign features Tom's best friend, Ben, and his mother, Samantha, who bravely share their first-hand accounts of losing Tom, complete with personal photos and videos that recount Tom's last day. This authentic, non-fictional narrative aims to make the statistics feel profoundly real.
Layer 2 (Action): Building on the emotional connection established, this tactical layer invites young drivers, their friends, and family to participate in making WA roads safer through online community consultation. With an informative and direct tone, this phase leverages targeted social media and other below-the-line channels to gather valuable feedback from those most affected by road safety measures.
Tom's story highlights a brutal truth:
Those exhilarating initial months of driving solo, when one feels most alive and free, are paradoxically when one is closest to death.
With young drivers aged 17-19 having the highest killed or seriously injured rate in WA (107 per 100,000), often due to distraction, the campaign needed to convey this devastating reality in a way that resonated deeply and personally. The "Tom's Story" campaign aims to foster a profound sense of responsibility among young drivers, deepening their understanding of road safety and inspiring collective action towards safer WA roads.
