How Melbourne Transit's 'Dumb Ways to Die' Won the Internet
Skift Take
It's rare to see a transit agency that takes a chance on anything, let alone a PSA about danger. Here's to giving government agencies more leeway.
How do you create the winningest campaign of the year? Creativity, obviously. But thoughtful integration and a close adherence to strategy help, too.
McCann Melbourne's effort for Metro Trains used that combination to reach the top of our annual most-awarded ad campaigns list, earning best-of-show wins throughout the awards season and a record-breaking five Grands Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The success of "Dumb Ways to Die" propelled Metro to the No. 3 slot on this year's most-awarded advertisers list and its creators, Exec Creative Director John Mescall, Creative Director Pat Baron and Director Julian Frost, to the top of the people charts.
While most people are familiar with the cutely morbid video that anchored the work, there's a lot more to the campaign. We break down the multiple components and strategic core here, with the help of Mr. Mescall.
Strong Content
The Metro clients, General Manager-Corporate Relations Leah Waymark and Marketing Manager Chloe Alsop, didn't want the typical gloom-and-doom pub
