AUNZ Work of the Week: 303 MullenLowe and SafeWork NSW

303 MullenLowe’s first outing for SafeWork NSW is a piece of behaviour-change work and a reminder of what’s really at stake when you don’t pay attention to workplace safety. By shifting the focus from individual risk to the potential impact on loved ones if you don’t make it home, the work lands with genuine force. By putting loved ones at the centre, the campaign drives home the ripple effects of staying safe – or not – while at work. 

After all, as 303 MullenLowe Sydney CEO Joanna Gray said, “Even if people’s instinct for self-preservation isn’t enough to drive a significant change in workplace behaviours, reframing it as ultimately impacting those they love transforms the message into a powerful reminder that’s difficult to ignore.”

Casting real families adds authenticity, making the message more relatable across a range of communities. That, added with the rollout focussing on CALD communities – including First Nations peoples, Arabic, Vietnamese, Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean – shows that the people behind the campaign have really thought about reaching those most vulnerable to workplace accidents. 

There’s an argument to be made that it goes for tugging-at-the-heartstrings a little obviously, but that is really the point at the end of the day. In a category that often falls back on tropes, the work stands out for its humanity, and the reminder of the simple truth that people’s absence is felt most at home.