Bridgestone MEA Launch Innovative Radio Roadblock for United Nations Global Road Safety Week

Every year, traffic accidents claim the lives of over 1.35 million individuals worldwide. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the number of crashes escalated from 2,931 in 2021 to 3,488 in 2022, making it clear that road safety is a pressing concern. *

Among the leading causes of fatalities in the UAE is reckless lane changing. Extensive research spanning two decades has shown that constant lane-changing has been proven to be neither safe nor particularly useful.

To demonstrate the futility and dangers of carelessly switching lanes, Serviceplan ME and Bridgestone MEA have created a first-of-its-kind radio roadblock: 'The Lane Change Song'. By synchronising its broadcast across the UAE's leading channels, listeners found themselves unable to escape this PSA by changing channels, just as they are unable to escape traffic by changing lanes. This catchy pop-rock song was produced in three languages and was simultaneously aired on seven radio channels. The launch coincided with the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, aligning with Bridgestone's commitment to road safety through its Road Safety initiative.

'The Lane Change Song' serves as an engaging and memorable way to remind individuals about the importance of responsible driving and the risks associated with reckless lane changes. By leveraging the power of radio, Bridgestone MEA and Serviceplan ME hope to foster safer road practices and contribute to the global efforts in making our roads safer for everyone.

With the launch of the initiative, Bridgestone asserts that lane changes are one of the major factors for accidents on the UAE’s highways and emphasises the importance of maintaining road safety for reliable mobility systems. The mobility solutions provider considers it their responsibility to promote safe mobility habits from the ground up and contribute to shaping a safer society. In line with this objective, the new initiative promises to raise road safety and assure community wellbeing, while also upholding Bridgestone's E8 commitment.

Sameer Suri - associate creative director, Serviceplan Middle East comments, “In a country with fast highways and faster cars, everybody wants to move to the fastest lane. All the research we found on the subject said the same thing – lane changing is not only dangerous, but also totally pointless. That chorus has been stuck in my head longer than I’ve ever been stuck in traffic. And lately I’ve been more careful while switching lanes.”

Charbel Jreijiri - general manager, Mediaplus Middle East, adds, “We hold road safety in high regard, and were determined to take every possible measure to accomplish the desired objective of our campaign. Working with ARN - who hold the leading radio stations in the UAE - we managed to overcome the limitations that involved airing the song within the same ad break on all the stations at the same time. In doing so, we were able to be present on the UAE’s top radio stations during peak morning drive-time. This provided us with the reach and awareness we were aiming for.” 

Vineeta Vasisht - business director, SPME, Plan.Net explains, “Our concept was to create an unskippable audio ad on radio. We launched our road safety campaign with Bridgestone, which was a great amalgamation of media and human insight. A radio block made sure we drove the message home even if listeners kept changing the channel. Our super catchy pop-rock song was produced in three languages, and went live on seven radio channels at one assigned time to support the UN Global Road Safety Week and Bridgestone’s Road Safety Programme.”

Smita Bhardwaj - communications and digital marketing, Bridgestone Middle East & Africa adds, “At Bridgestone, we are dedicated to creating innovative and effective solutions that make a difference in people's lives, campaigns included. Our collaboration with the UN Global Road Safety Week was a testament to this commitment. By using a unique media approach and a catchy song produced in three languages, our unskippable audio ad reached a wide audience and raised awareness about the importance of road safety. We are proud to have been a part of this important initiative and look forward to continue making a positive impact through our work.”