Seeing eye to eye

Spain – Auto care brand Midas has used advanced lie-detecting technology to prove the trustworthiness of its mechanics.

• The EyeDetect system uses high-speed cameras to track eye movements that are associated with lying
• The results were used to create a brand campaign to improve consumer trust in Midas’s staff

Research from the Spanish National Consumer Institute shows that mechanic shops are the fifth most complained about sector. To counteract this negative reputation, auto care brand Midas submitted 20 of its mechanics to a high-tech lie detector test.

The company worked with technology firm Converus, developer of the EyeDetect system, to conduct the tests, which use a high-speed precision camera to track the involuntary eye movements that result when a person is lying. The system has proved to be 85% accurate. The Midas mechanics tested had an average reliability score of 88.3%.

The results formed the backbone of Midas’s subsequent The Eyes Don’t Lie campaign and a breakdown of the data was made available on an accompanying website.

The campaign succeeded in catching the public's eye, generating more than 100 mentions on national and international media, while more than 80,000 people viewed the campaign video. As a result, Midas sales increased by 5.1% overall in 2015.