We, as humans, love to think of ourselves as invincible. But we are not. We are vulnerable in the face of all dangers that are waiting for us out there. Especially the ones involving cars. So, if we want to live longer, we somehow need to reduce road traffic accidents from happening, right? We do have a couple of options: You either buy a Volvo and assure yourself that both men and women are safe equally, or you can Meet Graham, part interactive sculpture, part educational tool, and ultimate catalyst for conversation. Graham might be a “dummy”, but it shows us how the human body will need to change in order to survive a car crash.
The Invincible Graham is an elaborate figurine by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, TAC (Transport Accident Commission), world-renowned artist Patricia Piccinini, road safety engineer Dr. David Logan, and trauma surgeon Christian Kenfield. Graham represents a combination of data + science + art. This formula is based on decades of safety data, medical research, and creativity. It amounts to a reimagined deformed human being that reveals an alternative way the mankind should evolve if we want to get invincible on the roads.
During this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday we are going to meet Graham and try to get used to its (or his?) deformity. Right, let’s say Graham is a he. He has no neck, a barrel-like chest with protective ‘airbags’, abrasion-proof skin, and joints that can bend in multiple directions. Even though he isn’t the most good-looking ‘fella’, he uses his charisma to raise awareness about the way people drive and also try to change human’s point of view on accidents.
As much as we would like to think that we are invincible we are, in fact, weak. The human body isn’t designed to successfully survive in a car crash, even if that happens at a 30 km/h (or 18 mp/h). Even such speed is enough to be fatal to some passengers. Yes, we are not invincible, but if you somehow manage to transform yourself into Graham’s little brother, you’ll probably survive a car crash — though you’ll not survive in nowadays society, mainly due to your looks.
The weird dummy poses as TAC’s road safety project and stresses how vulnerable the human body is during any car accident. To contour Graham’s every detail, TAC worked with an extensive team of specialists who joined forces to give birth to a “doll” that looks like an alien rather than a human.
The good news is that no human being is going to look like Graham (thank God!). He out there just to point out the changes people need to make in order to get protected from their own mistakes on the road. The campaign’s centerpiece is the idea that human health should be more important than anything else in the world. Graham is just the embodiment of the Towards Zero vision.
Curious to learn more about Graham? Then you can meet him online, where the latest immersive augmented reality technology allows you to admire his every detail and better understand his unique features. Just visit the meetgraham.com.au website. People could also personally acquaint themselves with Graham when they visited one of the key locations listed on the site.
Now, if you think that Graham is hideous, think again. The campaign was highly-applauded at different creative festivals around the world. Plus, in just 24 hours since its launch, the doll has sparked a global road safety conversation. But more than that, Graham became WHO’s guest of honor and the organization promoted him as their international face of Road Safety to remind people of how the dangers we face the road.
Nice to meet you, Graham! Now, let’s get to know each other better!