TAC launches experiential road safety activities at this year’s Australian Open via Graffiti Group

Brand activation agency Graffiti Group has been enlisted as part of the Transport Accident Commission’s efforts to highlight the dangers of pedestrian distractions at this year’s Australian Open.

A new partnership between the TAC and Tennis Australia has pedestrian road trauma firmly in its sights after 2014 saw a 22 per cent increase in pedestrian deaths.

Graffiti has collaborated with the TAC to deliver a range of experiential activities at the Open, highlighting the potential for a lapse of concentration when using mobile phones, music players or other sources of distraction to end in disaster.

Under the tagline ‘Be on the Ball’, the campaign aims to encourage the 700,000 tennis fans expected to arrive on foot over the two-week event to consider their personal safety at all times when walking in public.

One of the major activities is the People’s Court. For the first time in Grand Slam history, 300 everyday tennis fans will experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on the same surface as their international tennis heroes. Show Court Five has been renamed the People’s Court with fans selected via an online competition to play a 30-minute match in Grand Slam conditions; complete with ball kids, pre and post-match interviews, a chair umpire and commentary. A professional camera crew will capture all the action and participants will receive a highlights package to share on social media.

Graffiti’s general manager, Kerrie Spaargaren, said the distractions theme was front and centre at the People’s Court and at a separate Distraction Free Zone where fans are encouraged to disconnect from technology.

The Distraction Free Zone takes the form of a fully air-conditioned enchanted garden where visitors can escape the heat and the distractions of everyday life.

Actors and performers are bringing the messaging to life and visitors are reminded to be on the ball as they enter a competition to win tickets to the Women’s Final or scratch to see if they’ve won instant prizes like a Wilson tennis racquet.

Says Spaargaren: “This time of the year is the busiest on Victoria’s sporting, social and events calendar and it doesn’t get much bigger in terms of profile than the Australian Open.

“Graffiti has created an unexpected activation campaign for TAC that delivers a distractions message that’s relevant and engaging to our target audience visiting the tennis.”