The New York LOOK! Campaign strives to get pedestrians to stop fiddling with their cellphones and iPods while they are crossing the street and pay attention to their surroundings.
The surge in countless preventable traffic accidents due to people being distracted motivated the Transportation Commissioner of New York to use more visual safety-enforcing methods. Janette Saik-Khan and her fellow associates approached Michael Bierut’s Pentagram Team to design the ads for the New York LOOK! campaign. Pentagram’s design makes the word "look" into an aggressive warning, with googly eyes for the letter O and an exclamation to stress importance. The statement can be found spray painted on crosswalks across New York City.
The hope is that seeing the phrase "look" will remind absent-minded pedestrians to pay attention. The campaign also features photos of people looking, which are plastered on buses and taxicabs.
Googly-Eyed Crosswalks
New York LOOK! Campaign Wants to Make the Streets of the City Safer
Trend Themes
1. Visual Safety - The use of visual cues and aggressive warning signs to increase pedestrian awareness and attention to safety.
2. Distracted Pedestrians - The growing concern of pedestrians being distracted by smartphones and electronic devices while crossing the street.
3. Creative Ad Campaigns - The use of unconventional advertising methods to convey important safety messages to the public.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - Opportunity for transportation authorities to implement more creative and visually appealing safety campaigns to reduce accidents caused by distracted pedestrians.
2. Advertising and Marketing - Opportunity for advertising agencies to develop innovative and attention-grabbing campaigns that effectively communicate important safety messages to the public.
3. Urban Planning - Opportunity for city planners and urban designers to incorporate visually striking elements, such as googly-eyed crosswalks, to enhance pedestrian safety and awareness in urban environments.