Volvo takes road safety message to cyberspace

Volvo Cars Middle East launches an emotional online campaign at making the public aware of the pain and suffering experienced by those who have lost loved ones in road accidents in the UAE.

Volvo Cars Middle East, in partnership with Emirates Driving Institute and the Middle East and North African Road Safety Partnership (MENARSP), has launched an emotional online campaign aimed at making the public aware of the pain and suffering experienced by those who have lost loved ones in road accidents in the UAE. All Those Left Behind is a campaign inspired by the words of Volvo's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson when the company was in its infancy: "Cars are driven by people, therefore the guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is and must remain safety."

The first phase will run until the beginning of October, with members of the public who have lost a friend or relative in a road accident being encouraged to log on to the website and share their stories. "This campaign is for everybody," says Roula Beiruty, the marketing manager for Volvo Middle East. "We want to encourage as many people as possible to tell their stories."

It is hoped that the website will serve as a reminder to the public of the consequences of dangerous behaviour behind the wheel. "These stories will constitute a powerful message to all motorists," says Beiruty. "The issue of road safety is extremely important and unfortunately a lot of people are dying on the roads of the UAE because of reckless driving." The campaign, first conceived almost two years ago, was the combined brainchild of Volvo Cars Middle East and Memac Ogilvy Dubai, the company's advertising and public relations agency.

Beiruty says the aim was to create a "simple safety piece of communication" and she says it is now a "fully fledged, sustainable campaign". After the October deadline for stories, the second phase of the campaign will commence. Until the start of October, the stories will be collected via email, letter and telephone and after that, they will be released on the website so that anyone who can access the internet can read them.

"By allowing the general public to view and read the stories on the website, Volvo is hoping to reach people's deepest emotions and spread a nationwide message to drive safely," says Beiruty. "All reckless drivers will get a glimpse of the pain and sorrow they may leave behind if they are involved in a fatal car accident." The online campaign will be supported by an outdoor advertising campaign, live mentions on UAE radio stations and the distribution of flyers and posters to drive traffic to the website.

A Facebook group, "allthoseleftbehind", has been created, as well as a Twitter account, @thoseleftbehind, to further promote awareness. "We invite everybody to join and be proactive." Beiruty says the campaign will not end with the launch of the stories on the website. "This campaign is an ongoing campaign," she says. "It is not only a collection of stories of loss but the aim is to use this awareness and change the mindset of people."

Phase three of the campaign starts next year and Beiruty says Volvo will be rolling out a series of safety activities with their partners, Emirates Driving Institute and MENARSP, as well as events in schools, universities and Volvo dealerships. "Our purpose is to spread this campaign in the future to become a regional one and not only focused on the UAE," she says. [e-mail]