Data shows that people have become immune to ‘don’t text and drive’ road safety campaigns. So, a radical new take and a brand new experience of the danger was needed to break through the immunity. Which Is exactly what BlindMeters.com managed to do, from the start. Since day one, people and press engaged massively in this first of its kind platform.

Texting and driving is still prevalent throughout the world and a major cause of road deaths. That’s why there are still numerous road safety PSA campaigns on the subject. Unfortunately, data shows that these ‘don’t text and drive’-campaigns no longer have the impact needed to change really our behaviour. In order to change that the organization Parents of Road Victims asked us to come with a radical new take in preventing texting and driving.

BlindMeters.com is a first of its kind platform that visualises and gives concrete insight in how many meters you exactly miss when texting and driving. It is geo-located and turns Google Maps into a text editor, allowing you to type on any road. A custom-made font connects to the speed limitation data of the specific road you’re typing on and stretches to the exact number of meters you miss when texting and driving.To do so an algorithm was developed that connects different databases and layers them onto one website, together with a specially designed font made for the purpose of dynamically stretch.

Data shows that people have become immune to ‘don’t text and drive’ road safety campaigns. So, we had to make a very broad impact on all Belgian drivers, but with specific attention to the young crowd, since they not only text but also use WhatsApp, Instagram and all other channels while driving. The strategy was simple: intrigue and incite to go to the platform via broad media – TV and Cinema – and Press coverage. And create direct traffic to the BlindMeters.com via a digital connectivity plan and the power of social media.

The launch of BlindMeters.com played out across various channels. The campaign took off with an intriguing 45” and 60” film on TV and in Cinema, teasing the audience with the question ‘How many metres are you driving blind?’ and inciting them to find out on BlindMeters.com. A press release was sent out and a digital traffic-building connectivity plan was executed the very same day as the film was launched. Including banners, Instagram Stories, Google Ad-words and 4 influencers whom we asked to walk the ‘blind distance’ of the last message they wrote while texting behind the wheel. Very eye-opening for them, and their followers, knowing that one fraction of a second of not paying attention can be deadly.

Data shows that people became immune to the road safety ‘don’t text and drive’-campaigns. This new take on an old problem was able to beak that immunity, from the start. Press immediately picked up on BlindMeters.com. Literally all National and Regional press covered it. Resulting in millions and millions of earned media impressions. But most importantly: people engaged. Massively. In the meantime over 15 million (!) BlindMeters were typed. And BlindMeters is now also officially part of the Belgian National driving school program.