2014 started with more deaths on Australian roads than ever. As the country’s largest insurer we wanted people to start thinking about car safety before it was too late.

We got people to reappraise the cars they drive and buy based on safety ratings, rather than cosmetic features (like colour) which we know determine a majority of purchases.

We opened the Crashed Car Showroom, an interactive experience that demonstrated the importance of car safety ratings. Crashed cars filled the showroom and became our unique media channel that delivered our safety message. Each car was turned into a custom-built digital experience, using data from decades of crash tests and over 50 million insurance claims. Each installation gave people actionable safety advice about improving their current cars safety or information on which car to buy.

The entire showroom experience was replicated online to reach a wider audience.

We put car safety back on the national agenda.

The showroom earned 46,000,000 media impressions, appearing on national TV news for over 11 minutes, on 127 radio stations and in every national newspaper – that’s enough impressions for every Australian to experience the campaign twice.

It saw 930,000 people in foot traffic, with three times as many people visiting online. Social media reached a further 5,200,000 people. Making our combined reach over 55,000,000 impressions.

Importantly it started a media debate on road safety, putting it top of mind for every Australian and influencing consumer behaviour.

It also changed perception of the company. Nothing could have done the brand more good than showing it cares about the safety of every Australian.

Using custom-built digital technology and decades of data, the crashed cars and the showroom itself became our unique media channel, demonstrating the importance of car safety ratings.

An Oculus Rift simulator let people crash test different cars, showing how the safety rating can save their life.

A dissected car filled with NFC chips explained essential safety features.

Projection mapping showed collision damage.

Eye-tracking technology demonstrated advanced braking systems.

A hail gun consumers could fire tested car materials.

With each installation under development, we found a location on one of the country’s busiest streets to open the Crashed Car Showroom.

At an exclusive media launch the showroom was officially unveiled. This achieved nationwide coverage and got the country talking about our safety message. Foot-traffic peaked with social media continuing to drive awareness.

We re-created the entire experience online to reach a national audience. A simple media plan drove people to both.