2019 Rail Campaign Video Deck

2019 CREATIVE RAIL CAMPAIGN

THE BRIEF
Who are we talking to?
Primary: men, 18-49 years old, including those prone to taking risks, those in a hurry, those
unaware that a train can travel through a segment of track at any time, and those that see the
crossing devices, but not necessarily a train, so they think it’s okay to proceed. Secondary:
Hispanic males 18-49 with the same behavior/attitudinal profile
How do we want them to feel?
• Informed about the dangers of crossing railroad tracks when the guard rails are down and/or
the lights are flashing
• Scared of the consequences of crossing the tracks when a possible train is coming
• Convinced that they should wait for the train to pass before they cross the tracks
What do we want them to do?
Stop and wait for the train to pass before they cross the tracks.

THE CONCEPTS
LEGENDARY LAST WORDS
CAR VS. TRAIN
INNER VOICE
YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE

LEGENDARY
LAST WORDS
Contrast the memorable last words of great people
throughout history with the mundane and foolish
last words of those hit at level rail crossings.

LEGENDARY LAST WORDS
SPOT #1
(Title Card + Announcer’s Newsreel-style voice)
LEGENDARY LAST WORDS: Brought to you by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(Group of men on their way to work or a meeting. Driver
turns to the others as warning lights start to flash)
“You think I can beat it?”
(Guy in back seat gives a thumbs up)
(Abrupt transition to black screen with SFX of train)
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA)

LEGENDARY LAST WORDS
SPOT #2
(Title Card + Announcer’s Newsreel-style voice)
LEGENDARY LAST WORDS: Brought to you by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Warning lights and bells
Driver begins to brake
Girl in back seat says “Dude, I don’t even see a train”
Then all the passengers start chanting, “Go, Go, Go, Go”
Driver floors it.
(Abrupt transition to black screen with SFX of train)
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA)

LEGENDARY LAST WORDS
SPOT #3
(Title Card + Announcer’s Newsreel-style voice)
LEGENDARY LAST WORDS: Brought to you by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Wide shot of car approaching tracks… signals start …
driver accelerates.
Passenger yells out, “Wooo-Hooo!”
(Abrupt transition to black screen with SFX of train)
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA )

CAR VS TRAIN
Reference classic car chases from famous movies to show
that even the wildest of drivers will stop for a train.

CAR VS. TRAIN
In this video, we use a famous scene from one the most
most popular films in the world. (especially popular with
men in our target demographic) It’s the iconic scene
from “The Fast and the Furious” in which Vin Diesel races
towards a train crossing.
But at a critical moment, everything changes.
In our version, he stops before crossing the tracks.
We cut to a shot of Vin Diesel, sitting in his black
Charger.
He looks to camera and says, “Unless you’ve got
Hollywood’s best stunt coordinators and editors…
just stop.”
Then we cut to the train crossing the street, just in front
of the car.
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA )

INNER VOICE
There is a moment of temptation when you’re at a railway
crossing. A closer look at that moment makes it obvious you
should stop.

INNER VOICE
Car stopped at crossing. Cut to CU of man in driver’s seat.
We hear his thoughts as a VO…
“If I’m late for fantasy draft, Kevin will get better players than me.“
…as video cuts to the fantasy scene…
Kevin is beaming; all the guys in the pool are laughing at our hero.
“Or … I could beat the train, and beat Kevin…”
Video cuts to our hero making a draft choice.
The guys in the pool look on with admiration.
Cut to a news story about “the greatest fantasy draft ever”
… which gets noticed by an NFL team,
and leads to our hero being named GM of an NFL franchise.
WAAAAAAA… the fantasy gets interrupted by a train roaring by, frighteningly close to our hero (and us).
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA )

YOU KNOW
IT’S TRUE
You already know this is true:
Trying to beat a train is categorically stupid.

YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE
(Painful Surveillance footage of some
sneaking around the guards. It’s
painful to watch as they inch forward,
craning their head out the window to
see if they can get a look at the train.)
Cut to title card:
You know what happens next.
(Stop. Trains can’t. NHTSA)

SUMMARY
Legendary
Last Words

Inner
Voice

Car
Vs
Train

You know
it’s true.

STOP!
THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.