THREE PR WINGS AWARDS FOR “DRIVING WITHOUT READING”

The “Driving Without Reading” campaign, addressing the issue of mobile phone use by drivers, swept the awards at the PR Wings competition. The winged statuettes went to Imago Public Relations in as many as three categories: Educational Campaign; Transport, Forwarding, Logistics; and Automotive Industry.

As many as 57 percent of drivers admit to using mobile phones while driving, and one in three believes they can multitask well enough to safely use a phone in the car. Meanwhile, even one in four accidents in Poland may be caused by the driver being focused on their phone instead of the road. The recipe for safer travel is simple – it’s Driving Without Reading. And the recipe for three PR Wings awards?

Needed were:

– A client who gives the green light to bold ideas, like Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska, which observes the problem of smartphone use behind the wheel on the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway;

– An agency that has already won 25 industry awards for bold ideas and that approached an important social problem creatively and without moralizing;

– Outstanding cartoonists: Marta Frej, Magda Danaj, Andrzej Rysuje, Janek Koza, and Andrzej Mleczko, who interpreted the campaign theme with their characteristic style and humor;

– A voice of calm and reason: Krystyna Czubówna, who – as it turned out – reads just as fantastically as she encourages not reading.

– On the motorway, reaction time is shorter than on other roads, and even momentary inattention by the driver caused by phone use can have tragic consequences. Responsible attitudes are not fostered by drivers perceiving an analogy between phones and equally engaging touchscreens found in modern vehicles. Participation in road traffic should not be driving without a safety net, which is why we designed a campaign that engagingly addressed the topic of responsibility on the road, making it a subject of discussion to increase awareness of dangers, encourage reflection, and change habits – says Rafał Czechowski, founder and managing director of Imago Public Relations and press spokesman for SAM S.A.

– Rational arguments for putting away smartphones while driving are widely known and equally widely ignored. Therefore, the form of communication and its sender were at the center of the campaign. Cartoon satire allowed us to deliver the message precisely where the problem arises: on smartphones. Thanks to the popularity of the authors, the drawings ensured a wide audience for the campaign, including significant media interest. We are pleased that the PR Wings competition jury recognized the creativity, effectiveness, and educational value of our campaign in as many as three categories – adds Marta Dobrzańska, account director at Imago Public Relations, who led the team responsible for the campaign’s implementation.

Driving Without Reading moved drivers and passengers. Many people declared a change in behavior behind the wheel. Media relations activities resulted in 120 quality publications, ensuring the main message reached over 61 million in traditional and SoMe channels.

Photo author: Michał Gmitruk Production