According to a report, one in four disabled Brits say they don’t use public transport because of the humiliation that comes with this experience. The same study says that this happens because of other people’s attitudes, which, you can guess, are not that friendly. When we put this into perspective, we see that reduced access to public transport translates into hindered access to employment, healthcare, education, and social activities.
To raise awareness on this insight, the Department for Transport launched “It’s Everyone’s Journey” campaign, a project imagined by VMLY&R creative agency in partnership with Nexus Studios’ Oscar-nominated directors Smith and Foulkes.
Wanting to create a more considerate public transport environment for everyone — be it a healthy or a disabled person — the government hired the creatives to do something to make others be more patient and understanding with the latter. To trigger empathy, the artists designed a series of charming animated films, prints, and radio. Each promotes more inclusive transport behaviors by featuring multiple journeys across train or bus.
The ones not being nice with disabled people probably aren’t aware of the fact that their behavior affects others. Basically, they morph into something else when they are being rude. In the creatives’ minds, such people transform into animals when they travel using public transport. It’s the law of the urban jungle. Or is it?
The campaign uses animal characters as visual metaphors to show just how people’s attitudes can change when using public transport. There are two scenarios imagined by the artists, both of them unfolding on an original song, by Siren, Factory, which basically suggests that it only takes a little effort to make the public transport environment a better place for everyone.
Andy Raven, Deputy Director, Campaigns, Marketing and Digital, The Department for Transport, said: “We want disabled people to travel from A to B easily. We know that there are a number of barriers that make this difficult every day. This campaign is one step in our journey of making transport more inclusive. We want to show that we can all play a part in making transport more inclusive.”
Mark Roalfe, Chairman, VMLY&R UK, continued: “With ‘It’s Everyone’s Journey,’ we wanted to highlight that we often don’t realize the impact our behavior has on other travelers and that a little effort can go a long way to making everyone’s journey better.”
It costs nothing to be kind. Yet, it will cost you all when you are not kind and patient with others. Seeing that you made someone happy, even with a small act, is priceless. So why not be nice all the time?
Credits:
Client: Department for Transport
Agency: VMLY&R
Chief Creative Officer: Laurent Simon
Chairman: Mark Roalfe
Creative Director: Gavin McGrath
Senior Creative: Perle Arteta, Christopher Joyce
Head of Design: Chris Willis
Strategy Director: Jonathan Ewles
Strategist: Micha Levy
Business Director: Rebecca Bright
Senior Account Manager: Elliot Duck
Producer: Tanya Fitzgerald
Project Director: Beth Dooley
Production Company – Nexus Studios
Director – Smith & Foulkes
Executive Creative Director – Chris O’Reilly
Producer – Tracey Cooper
Production Manager – Rebecca Archer
Art Director – Callum Strachan
Project Supervisor – Dave Hunt
Design – Sam Nassour, Signe Cold
Storyboards – Morgan Ritchie
Lead Animator – Bishoy Gendi
Animation – Duncan Gist, Marlène Beaube, Sean Weston
Clean up animation – Joanna Boyle, Chiara Sgatti, Alexandra “Sasha” Balan, Eleonora Quario, Alex Dray, Christina Nerlan
Composite – Thomas Ricquier, Jesse Richards, Bethany Levy
Music – Siren
Sound Design – Factory
Media agency – Planning: Wavemaker
Client Lead: Louise Rowcliffe
Strategy Lead: Robin Thomas
Strategy Director: Matt Hirschler
Account Manager: Ben Isaacs
Media agency – Buying: Manning Gottlieb
Client Lead: Richard Haywood
Effectiveness Manager: Ben Lees
Partnership Agency: 23Red
Creative Director – Sean Kinmont
Head of Design – Rob Garner
Client Partner – Rachel Tattersdill
Account Director – John Coote