Behind Toyota’s Emotional Speed Accident Experience Fuelled by Real Victims and Perpetrators

Road safety PSAs are often forgotten as quickly as they’re seen – but with speeding being the number one cause of road accidents in Thailand, Dentsu Thailand and Toyota wanted to create a deeply human experience that would help change driving behaviour for good.

In an immersive experience at Bangkok’s busy Siam Square Soi 5, ‘Save Speeding Loss’ brought individuals face-to-face with the lasting consequences of reckless driving – from impact on the driver, to the victim and their loved ones.

A series of checkpoint installations exemplified this through real-life testimonies, an eye-opening simulation of the last second a victim of speeding experiences, and a gallery of loss, showcasing items belonging to real victims, donated by their families.

To find out how this campaign came together, LBB’s Sunna Coleman speaks with Sukanya Sitthisang, senior creative coordinator and creative data specialist at Dentsu Creative Thailand who discusses why they swapped speeding stats for deeply emotional stories, and the lasting impact the installation has had on audiences.

LBB> What was the initial brief from Toyota, and how did it evolve into this deeply human-led campaign about speeding-related accidents?

Sukanya> Toyota's initial brief was to raise awareness about road safety, particularly speeding. We aimed to create a more human connection by focusing on the emotions of those affected by speeding accidents.

Unlike traditional advertising in Thailand, which has a tendency to promote road safety through conventional means like facts and statistics, our campaign took a unique approach. We created immersive checkpoints that allowed the public to viscerally feel the real-life impact of speeding, making the message resonate on a much deeper level.

LBB> What insights led you to centre the campaign around grief, reflection and loss, rather than safety statistics or shock tactics?

Sukanya> At dentsu, storytelling is our forte, but with a topic as sensitive as this, the real challenge was in finding a way to make people truly feel, not just understand. While statistics can inform, they often create distance. What really resonates are the raw, human stories behind the numbers.

Our guiding thought was always: "No one wants to be just a number in a headline". Grief, reflection, and loss are not abstract ideas; they are deeply personal and life-altering. So instead of relying on shock or data, we chose to honour the emotional weight of these experiences.

LBB> Each location, from the physical installations in Khon Kaen to the billboard at Maliwan Intersection, shows someone’s personal story. Can you walk us through how you gathered and crafted people's personal stories?

Sukanya> We genuinely connected with the grief of those who lost loved ones. With deep respect for their pain, our team invited them to share their stories on Toyota's Road Safety Facebook page. We clearly explained that the main goal of the campaign was to help stop speeding and save lives. We then shared their stories exactly as they told them, without any embellishment. We were extremely careful with every word to ensure the narratives were true to their real experiences and caused no further distress.

LBB> What checkpoint are you most proud of and why? What impact did it have on you?

Sukanya> I’m most proud of checkpoint three, ‘Gallery of Loss’, which showcased the emotions of those who have lost loved ones to speeding accidents, with their personal items. It really brought home the idea of people never going back to their families after an accident. It is a constant reminder that just a split second of speed can steal someone's future forever.

LBB> What was the most challenging aspect in the creation of this campaign and how was this overcome?

Sukanya> The hardest part was dealing with sadness without making it ‘dramatic’. We had to find a balance between respecting those who had lost loved ones and creating a powerful message that could actually change people's behaviour. We spent a lot of time talking with, and getting permission from, the families before sharing their stories.

LBB> Did the campaign spark broader conversations in Thailand about road safety or public grief?

Sukanya> The campaign reached over 14 million people through TV coverage, radio, and Toyota’s channels from Bangkok and Khon Kaen.

On-ground engagement was also strong:
- Khon Kaen exceeded its target by 209% (1,479 vs 500 attendees)
- Bangkok surpassed its goal with 1,555 attendees

Audience feedback reflected deep resonance: over 94% liked the event, 88% reported behaviour change, and over 95% acknowledged the campaign’s message, showing it successfully sparked both awareness and public dialogue.

LBB> Since launching the campaign, has there been a decrease in road accidents caused by speeding?

Sukanya> Initial reports from the transportation department show that people are driving more carefully, especially during long holidays like Songkran (speeding has decreased by over 25%). While that can be attributed to many factors, we do feel that this is a very positive sign.

But ultimately, speeding as a driving behaviour can only happen when there’s a mindset shift and that will take time as well as sustained awareness building. We have received messages from viewers like, "I used to drive very fast, but after seeing the stories in the campaign, I don't dare to anymore." That is exactly the result that we hoped for.

LBB> What advice would you give to brands that want to address social issues through creative work?

Sukanya> Start by listening to what people want to say, try to understand their pain, and create a narrative that can address that.

LBB> Do you see immersive, site-specific experiences becoming a stronger part of how brands approach storytelling in the future?

Sukanya> Absolutely, immersive, site-specific experiences are becoming essential for brands to connect in a more emotional and memorable way. When people can physically engage with a story, it becomes real – not just something they see or hear, but something they feel. In a crowded media landscape, experiences like these cut through the noise and leave a lasting impact.