App makes drivers hijack savvy
Cell giant Vodacom is using ad space on navigation app Waze to help drivers avoid hijacking hotspots when navigating South Africa’s roads.
Every day, more 800 000 people navigate South Africa’s roads using the navigation app, Waze. But the quickest route to a destination is not always the safest – so Vodacom decided to use the advertising space that Waze offers to post anti-hijack ads that help drivers navigate safely.
In designing the anti-hijack ads campaign, Vodacom worked with their agency VMLY&R.
Ryan McManus, chief creative officer at VMLY&R said: “We all live and drive on the dangerous roads in our cities and we felt it was time for a smarter solution.
“We came up with an idea that uses data, technology and the power of Vodacom’s network to help keep drivers safer.”
Using available crime data, the team identified zones with a high rate of hijackings. They then placed warning ads around these spots in the Waze app.
“We worked alongside the brand and used the advertising functionality Waze offers to create geolocated ads that warn people of a dangerous car hijack zone before they enter it, and then use Waze existing functionality to reroute them safely with a single click,” McManus explains.
The Vodacom anti-hijack ads pop up when a driver is stationary – for example at a traffic light or in heavy traffic – alerting them that they’re heading towards a danger zone and offering a safer alternative route.
The driver can then make an informed decision to stay on the faster, potentially dangerous route, or accept the safer detour.
Executive creative director Adam Whitehouse says the look of the ads was inspired by the visual language of actual road warning signs.