“Why does it take a dessert to drive like our lives depend on it?”

That’s a confronting question, isn’t it? It’s the question that Colenso BBDO and NRMA Insurance are asking in their holiday campaign. The lead film is about a couple driving a pavlova to Christmas lunch – but it’s really a reminder for almost every viewer of a situation in which they drove carefully to protect something relatively meaningless – a cup of coffee, a new lamp, a take-away meal.

The message is that humans break too. Children especially.

The film was directed by Steve Rogers and produced by Revolver/Will O’Rourke. Thinkerbell managed PR.

The campaign covers cinema, OOH, digital and a human behavioural experiment.

NRMA Insurance chief marketing officer, Brent Smart, commented, “This is a helpful brand act at Christmas with a simple message – it’s one of the busiest times of the year, remember to drive safely.”

NRMA Insurance is delivering this road safety message at the most dangerous time of year for drivers. December has been the worst month for road trauma over the past 29 years. With drivers travelling longer distances, often on unfamiliar roads and with so much occupying their minds, NRMA Insurance wants to ensure we’re all taking care on the roads these holidays.

Colenso BBDO creative chairman, Nick Worthington, stated “It’s a simple insight, and one that everyone seems to connect with. We all do it, we drive ridiculously carefully with a cake, coffee or in my case Wonton soup on the passenger seat, and we don’t think twice about driving way faster with our kids. It doesn’t make any sense, which is the whole point.”

In the OOH executions, the photography was shot by James Tolich. Children’s eyes looking piercingly at the camera reminding drivers on the roads to protect what’s actually precious – their children in the backseat.

The is the first piece of work from Colenso BBDO for NRMA Insurance, as part of IAG’s agency roster. Currently, Colenso BBDO is the lead creative agency for IAG NZ. The Monkeys remain the lead creative agency for IAG in Australia.