An Australian public service advertising campaign that became an internet hit for its black-humoured list of reckless ways to die – such as “poke a stick at a grizzly bear” – has scooped a record number of international prizes.
Dumb Ways to Die, a three-minute short co-produced by Melbourne private rail service Metro Trains and advertising agency McCann Melbourne to teach people to be careful around trains, has notched up more than 50 million views on YouTube since its release late last year, and has sparked hundreds of parodies.
The clip employs an insanely catchy tune composed by members of Australian bands the Cat Empire and Tinpan Orange and colourful blobs that die in a variety of ways, including “keeping a rattlesnake as a pet” and “selling both kidneys on the internet”, before culminating in train-related deaths, which are described as “the dumbest way to die”.
It swept the awards at Sunday’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, winning a record five Grand Prix awards, 18 Gold Lions, three Silver Lions and two Bronze Lions, the most to be awarded to one campaign in the festival’s 59-year history.
Best of all, Metro Trains has reported a 21 percent reduction in accidents and deaths since the campaign began.
“We could never have predicted the scale and speed at which it’s grown,” said Leah Waymark, the general manager of corporate relations at Metro. – Reuters