Crash lesson

Egypt – Kia’s latest advert is a message in road safety, warning drivers of the dangers of texting while driving.

• Like many countries, Egypt prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving unless hand-free
• Spot launched online and in cinemas

The Crash Text ad was launched in Egypt – the country with one of the highest number of road accidents per miles driven – and is a departure from traditional road safety campaigns. ‘It’s not necessarily the act of driving that causes accidents, but the habit of texting and driving,’ says Richard Copping, executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai. Once you start typing that first letter, you immediately start to lose concentration on driving.

The Big Picture: Brands have a duty to be socially as well as environmentally responsible. Kia's ad is a warning to future Generation I drivers, the always-on generation compelled to be part of the online conversation at all times, against the habitual use of mobiles while driving.