Journeys of Mindfulness
Role: Strategist
The Quick Pitch
How can Toyota help drivers stay calm and focused during the rush hour traffic of Ramadan, and ultimately reduce the likelihood of traffic incidents? By tapping into the ancient mediative powers of Islamic art and turning them into calming digital artworks for drivers to view before they begin driving.
What I did
Competitive Analysis
Creative Strategy
Comms plan
Co-wrote Press release
Co-wrote case study paper
Co-wrote case study video
Revelation
Despite being a time to slow down, Ramadan sees an increase in road accidents.
2022 saw traffic accidents increase by 62% in the first ten days of this period compared to the previous months. Most of these incidents (jumping red signals, accidents, reckless driving, etc.), occur 1-2 hours before Iftar, the last mile before the fast is broken.
Studies attribute this spike to a loss of focus and presence of mind as drivers rush home to break their fast with family. The final hours of the fast become a test of their mental composure, where one must overcome dehydration and lowering blood sugar throughout the day.
Provocation
What if we reach drivers moments before they start driving and instill calmness in them?
Idea
Making every drive home, a journey of mindfulness
Our meditative content drew inspiration from Islamic Art - known for its intricate and repetitive geometric patterns, which are found in various forms such as tiles, textiles, and architecture.
With it having spiritual significance, ability to uplift mood, and a calming nature due to repetition, we transformed them into a series of contemporary digital artworks that would calm drivers before they began their journey.
The digital artworks were showcased on social media, accompanied by a dedicated set of multimedia content. These included soothing Spotify playlists, guest-curated by wellness influencers, reflective quotes, breathing exercises, self-care practices and guidebooks. The set came together as a themed Journey of Mindfulness.
Every Journey was then released just before potential peak accident hours to match the times people left their homes and offices.
Digital screens on Sheikh Zayed Road, the busiest highway in the nation, were turned into thoughtful public service announcements during peak rush hours, cautioning drivers to be mindful.
Impact
An artistic reminder to move mindfully.
The message of mindful driving spread fast through word of mouth and an immersive social media campaign, securing a 1.8 million reach while reminding more drivers than ever to move with care and consideration.
In a time where mindfulness is seen as an imported concept from the West, the contemporary transformation of Islamic art was lauded as a timely return to sources of calmness within the region’s heritage.
Credits
Simon Reid - Executive Creative Director, Valerie Sandoval - Art Director, Teena Mathew - Designer, Savio Dias - Motion & 3D Designer, Beverney Shane - Social coverage & influencer programming, Amit Hasija, Cynthia Chabu, Johnwalf Brigoli - Production, Vylan Dalmaida & Chirag Khushalani - Strategy