Transport Accident Commission: Lose The Tunes

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has teamed up with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to deliver a serious message with a unique comedy twist. Prominent comic Sam Simmons struck the balance between entertainment and education, writing and hosting online content pieces and a walking comedy show ‘LOL While You Stroll’, which highlighted the perils of being a pedestrian. With over 700,000 people visiting the CBD each year during Melbourne International Comedy Festival, it was vital to get the message out for pedestrians to ditch the distractions – which includes headphones and mobile phones – and pay attention while they’re on the streets. The campaign was created by Graffiti Experiential and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, a partnership TAC has supported for the past three years. In his signature quirky style, Simmons hosted 40 competition winners across two ‘LOL While you Stroll’ Shows during the Festival. Totally focused, and phone-free, show-goers walked the streets of Melbourne accompanied by hilarious commentary from Simmons. Melbourne Comedy Festival favourites Mark Watson, Granny Bingo, Steph Tisdell, Rhys Nicholson, Nikki Britton and Aaron Gocs (who looked the part as the Lollipop Man) made cameo appearances along the way. The campaign forms part of TAC’s Towards Zero strategy, which aims for zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads. Pedestrian deaths increased in 2018, with 38 deaths compared to 31 in 2017, with 32 of those deaths occurring in built-up areas in metropolitan Melbourne.