‘Unsell’ cars for teens

The ad above, “Unsell”, has been in heavy rotation on New Zealand television over the past few weeks. It tries to steer parents into selecting safer cars for their teens using the slogan, “The safer the car, the safer they are.” It’s a new way to promote an ongoing effort: Keeping Kiwis—in this case, younger Kiwis—safer on the road.

The ad is for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), which is responsible for everything from driver licensing, through to roading projects, vehicle licensing, and more. It has a lot of responsibilities, but all of them are about rod safety one way or another.

I’ve long been fascinated by the NZTA’s roading ads, including the “In His Shoes” ad I shared in January, which is still broadcast from time to time. Some of their ads have been more effective than others, of course, but lately they seem to be getting it right more often than not.

Anything that helps people to think about safety first has got to be a good idea, and I think this is a good ad.