We created: The Smart Jacket.

An interactive jacket that uses the smartphone to communicate with other road users.

The jacket works like this: Map out a route and tuck your phone away in a special pocket in the sleeve.

The phone is now locked and will only be used for navigation.

A Raspberry Pi transfers the data from the phone to 300 built-in LED’s.

Which display the right directions to the cyclist on the sleeves.

While arrows on the back alert other traffic to where he’s heading.

We cycled with the Smart Jacket during rush hours in Amsterdam.

And showed that:

- you can't be distracted by your phone while cycling

- you can concentrate on the road

- other road users know where you’re going

The Smart Jacket increased Vodafone’s thought leadership perception and shows that mobile tech can improve our lives for the better.

We built the Jacket and tested it in busy Amsterdam traffic.

A custom app was build for navigation in which we made use of Google Maps’ cues for left and right turns.A built-in Raspberry Pi using Python reads out the navigation data from the phone and sets it through to 300 LED’s which light up the directions to the cyclist and surrounding traffic on the right times.

We cycled with the Smart Jacket during rush hours in Amsterdam and documented how the test cyclist was able to move safely through traffic.

The video was shared through the social channels of Vodafone and on Youtube and reached over 3 million people in the first 2 weeks.

We invited everyone to try and test the jacket themselves at several events, including TedX Delft in April 2016.

Via social and PR we reached around 40% of the country in the first 3 weeks.

>90 million media impressions.

Featured in almost every major Dutch media title and picked up by many international media and blogs.

The campaign reached about 40% of the Dutch population.

A positive sentiment on social of 78%.

The campaign started the conversation around smartphones in traffic among the cycling-minded Dutch and the Smart Jacket got endorsed and promoted by by the Dutch Cyclists Association.

Vodafone was invited to present at TedX Delft on April 15th 2016 and did a brainstorm session on technology and safer traffic afterwards.

The jacket will be further developed by the Technical University Delft.

Our brief was to underline the leadership perception of the Vodafone brand.

We created The Smart Jacket. An interactive jacket that uses the smartphone in traffic to communicate with other road users.

PR and earned media were key drivers to showcase the project to as many people as possible and as a result help increase the thought leadership perception of the brand.

We scored headlines in all major Dutch media titles and tv shows.Plus created buzz far outside the Dutch borders. Vodafone was invited by TedX to have an inspirational session at their event in Delft, April 2016.

The aim was to reach as many people as possible in The Netherlands.

A specified sub-target audience were people between 20 and 40 years old, predominantly male. Latently interested in gadgets and tech.

Targeted media were all major Dutch news titles. Specific press releases and PR push were made for tech media.

First research results were published on the use of smartphones in traffic and the dangers that come with it.

Then the compilation video of the test rides was released through PR and social.

And a few weeks later a big TedX event followed were a presentation was given, a brainstorm was hosted and people could try and test the jacket themselves.

Video views, PR, social and earned media led to a platform about all mobile tech for good projects from VodafoneNL.

Vodafone is market leader in mobile technology in The Netherlands. They asked us to create an awareness campaign to underline this.

To do so we tapped into a locally relevant social issue:

The Netherlands is the number 1 cycling country in the world.

But in recent years the number of cycling accidents is growing.

Especially in the dark when we travel to work or university.

Many cyclists don’t carry lights.

But a growing problem is that cyclists are distracted by their smartphone.

Vodafone believes that mobile technology can be a powerful force for good.

So we asked ourselves: Can smartphones help to improve road safety?