A hard-hitting television commercial aimed at reducing the number of motorcycle fatalities on the roads of Denbighshire and Wrexham has won a top industry award.
The advert, produced by Wrexham based Knew Productions, in partnership with Chester advertising agency speake2, won the Best Open Award at the Institute of Videography Awards 2008.
Denbighshire County Council's Road Safety Team commissioned the 30 second advert shown on ITV Wales to promote BikeSafe, with the full support of Wrexham Council.
The title 'Not Playing Anymore' reflects the devastating impact fatal collisions have on the family and loved ones and looks at inspiring bikers to improve their riding skills by contacting BikeSafe.
In 2007 there were 152 collisions involving motorcyclists across North Wales 13 of which resulted in deaths, 5 of these were in Denbighshire and 2 were in Wrexham. Research shows that even though many motorcyclists travel to the region from the North of England, the West Midlands, the Wirral and Mid-Wales, many of the bikers who die on the roads in North Wales also live in the region.
Councillor Eryl Williams, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: "This advert has an extremely powerful message that aims to educate motorcyclists of the dangers they face on the roads. Both Denbighshire and Wrexham Councils have worked with Knew Productions and Speake2 to deliver an effective publicity campaign and we are delighted that the professionally-produced video has earned this top industry accolade".
Councillor David Bithell, Lead Member for the Environment & Transport at Wrexham County Borough Council, said: "Wrexham County Borough Council is proud to have worked in conjunction with Denbighshire County Council on this acclaimed TV advert.
“Anything that can be done to reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities on our roads is always a positive step. No-one can under-estimate the impact that road deaths have on families and friends. This advert has successfully portrayed the impact on loved ones and stands as a stark reminder to bikers to be Bikesafe."
Richard Knew, Director of Knew Productions and a Fellow of the Institute of Videography added: “Our crew worked really hard on the filming. We used specialist mini cameras to get the shots from the point of view of the toy motorbike, so there were some sore knees by the end of the shoot.
“ We’re really proud to win this UK wide award, but more than that it is satisfying to work on a project that helps to improve road safety within our region.”
Saul Peake, Director of speake2, added: "We're very proud of the increased awareness of BikeSafe this commercial has generated. This is demonstrated by a three-fold increase in activity on their website's North Wales pages. We hope to be able to re-run the commercial next year and extend our activity into press and outdoor media."
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