The 12 Premiership Rugby clubs are supporting Aviva’s #DriveSafer campaign to raise awareness of dangerous driving caused by distractions.
This initiative, which follows on from Aviva’s 2016 ‘Safer Driving’ campaign, is led by virtual reality experience fronted by Wasps trio Joe Simpson, Jimmy Gopperth and Ashley Johnson who all outline their own dangerous experiences of mobile phone distractions.
The league’s title sponsor puts the Wasps players through an immersive VR experience that seats them behind the wheel of a stationary car and highlights potential consequences of mobile use whilst driving.
Taking place at the team’s Ricoh Arena, the players experienced three near-miss scenarios – a darting deer, a fallen tree and a broken-down motorist – all culminating in a high-speed crash.
Launched in mid February, the film of this VR experience highlights the fact that driving at 45mph and looking at your phone for five seconds means you will have travelled the length of the average rugby pitch.
‘Having been put through Aviva’s VR driving experience, it was really shocking to see just how distracting a mobile phone can be while you’re behind the wheel,’ comments scrum half Simpson.
‘Jimmy, Ashley and I would encourage everyone to play their part in making our roads safer and to put your mobile phones away whenever you’re driving.’
The core video was initially posted on the Official YouTube channel of Premiership Rugby and across the league’s other digital and social platforms, as well as Aviva
Distracted by your mobile? Immerse yourself in our 360 virtual reality video. #DriveSaferhttps://t.co/5NkaDaVXtN pic.twitter.com/fNdAf0ZEHH
— Aviva UK (@AvivaUK) February 20, 2017
Watch reality hit @WaspsRugby as they experience the dangers of distracted driving. #DriveSafer https://t.co/SuV7gu0man pic.twitter.com/CwYmjegDDA
— Aviva UK (@AvivaUK) February 14, 2017
and the clubs’ own channels and all are linked by the campaign’s #DriveSafer hashtag.
All assets and campaign content pieces encourage rugby fans, drivers and all viewers to download the the Aviva Drive app (http://www.aviva.co.uk/car-insurance/drive/) to see how safe your driving is
Safer drivers could save on our car insurance. Download the Aviva Drive app now. #DriveSafer https://t.co/4hDIjjNaqq
— Aviva UK (@AvivaUK) February 21, 2017
and also drive them to the initiative’s website on the Premier Rugby digital hub at http://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/premiership-rugby-proud-to-support-avivas-drivesafer-campaign/
The initiative is also being supported and amplified by the individual clubs themselves.
For example, as well as Wasps, other clubs such as the Exeter Chiefs supported Aviva’s #DriveSafer with a club-led programme fronted by a short film featuring three Chiefs’ players: Thomas Waldrom, Ollie Devoto and Olly Woodburn.
The aim of the video is simple – to encourage fans to put their mobile phones away and take that extra care when they are behind the wheel – and the message is promoted across the club’s other platforms too.
WATCH: @ExeterChiefs players encourage fans to get behind @AvivaUK’s #DriveSafer campaign. – https://t.co/eyKzh7lpxt pic.twitter.com/zUsnhiUyoV
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) February 14, 2017
‘I think the Aviva #DriveSafer campaign is a brilliant idea. It’s so important to raise awareness of being more careful on the roads and if we can play a part in that, then great,’ commented Woodburn at the PR launch event.
‘We’re on a mission to make Britain’s roads as safe as possible and we’re proud that Premiership Rugby and all 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs are helping us to make people wake up to the dangers and take that extra care when they are behind the wheel,’ explains Aviva Brand and Marketing Communications Director Peter Markey.
‘Distractions while driving – particularly the use of mobile phones – is still a huge problem in the UK and we believe there’s no excuse for having to pay for other people’s bad driving. For this reason, the Aviva Drive app is free to download and safer drivers save an average of £170 off their Aviva car insurance, so there’s every reason to put your mobile phones away and help make a real difference.’
Activative Comment:
Using sports star brand endorsers to front safe driving campaigns is a regular Aviva tactic.
Indeed its current UK TV ad campaign – also pushing its safer driving app – is fronted by former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard disguised as a cab driver.
Another interesting aspect of this initiative is its launch timing which coincides with the heightened public interest in rugby due to the 6 Nations – the world’s most watched annual rugby property.
Rugby rights holders and sponsors who aren’t directly part of the 6 Nations are split as to whether to tactically leverage the 6 Nations, or to avoid activating during the tournament for fear of being drowned out by the weight of marketing and the associated leverage noise around the game’s blockbuster competition.
Links:
Premiership Rugby
http://www.premiershiprugby.com/home.php
http://www.facebook.com/PremiershipRugby
http://twitter.com/premrugby
https://www.youtube.com/user/PremiershipRugby
https://plus.google.com/u/0/106489083114376580006
Aviva
https://www.facebook.com/AvivaUK/
https://www.youtube.com/avivauk
Wasps
Exeter Chiefs
