They are impressive portraits of real accident victims that hang on the streets and in bars in New Zealand. Ten men took part in a poster campaign. You were all involved in a serious accident. Some as victims, for example because they were rammed by a drunk. For someone else it was just bad luck, the sun had blinded him at the wrong moment. And some were to blame themselves, for example because they wanted to quickly cross a level crossing and had miscalculated.
Proud like street warriors
The campaign presents a realistic mix. The photos were taken long after the accidents. For the recordings, the special effects company PROFX recreated the old wounds with make-up. The images touch and irritate. Because the bodies and the poses show that the seriously injured are now recovered and doing well. The central motif are the bruises left by the life support belt.
With the campaign, the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) aims to reduce the number of deaths on the roads. Every year 90 people die in the country because they were not wearing seat belts. Mostly young men in rural areas. In addition, there are a lot of old pick-ups and off-roaders in operation that do not have airbags. But even in a modern car that is riddled with airbags, the belt remains the number one lifesaver. The airbag cushions only have a supportive effect and their effect is calculated on the fact that the seat belt and belt tensioner keep the occupants in their exact position in the event of an accident.
Tailored campaign
In rural New Zealand, the mentality is the problem. This campaign is aimed at men between the ages of 20 and 40. The authorities complain that these “boys” are a “bunch” that is difficult to reach with arguments. The New Zealanders don’t wear seat belts, they see the belt as an extra. As something that “right” men don’t use. Security is for wimps, according to the general opinion of the mad provincials. Just as stickers are popular in Germany with the inscription: No Airbag; we still die like men!
In order to reach this “bunch”, men were photographed who are just like the target group. And they were purposely portrayed not as victims, but as heroes who survived some kind of battle on the street. They proudly wear their injuries like awards – just like “real” men, men who use seat belts.
Source: Belt up