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The campaign concept called Streetlines was developed by student Jamie Quantrill of Falmouth University, UK, and is designed to help alleviate congestion on underground rail – or Tube – journeys by reminding commuters that distances between many stations are walkable.
Coloured lines on central London’s streets matching those of the iconic London Tube map would provide helpful directions for tourists, and would show the direction to the next tube station and the average time it takes to walk there.
Ford challenged students, recent graduates and people under 24 years old from around the world to develop mobility solutions for their city in the Mobilise Citywide Change category of the D&AD Awards. Twelve category finalists were chosen from over 160 entries, with ideas ranging from improving driving skills in Africa to enabling commuters in Mexico City to work while travelling in a modified shuttle bus.
Ford is currently expanding into both an auto and a mobility company. The company is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility – its plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. The winning Streetlines campaign concept will inspire and inform future Ford Smart Mobility journey planning concepts.
“Our research shows that even though walking is the second most common mode of transport in the UK, less than 10 per cent of people travel on foot for commuting or business reasons,” said Will Farrelly, Ford Smart Mobility, Ford of Europe. “Walking is not just a healthy and enjoyable way to get from A to B – for short journeys between Tube stations it may well be faster. The Streetlines concept is a simple but clever way to communicate that information to travellers and improve mobility in London.”
Figures show that cities are becoming increasingly crowded, with half the world’s population currently living on just one per cent of the land.* For the D&AD New Blood Awards, participants from Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa were challenged to think holistically about city living and urban transport, and to consider small and attainable ways that people can change their behaviour to help reduce congestion.
The Streetlines campaign is envisioned by its developer to run for two months supported by print and social media, to inspire positive behavioural and attitudinal changes towards walking.
“The next generation of innovators offers fresh perspectives on the issues we aim to address through Ford Smart Mobility, and the D&AD awards allow us to tap into that creativity,” Farrelly said. “The Ford brief inspired fantastic concepts from all over the world. Streetlines wowed us because it’s such a simple and achievable idea with the potential to deliver big results immediately.”
Further finalists included ideas for a car-sharing programme that utilises privately-owned vehicles that otherwise would be idle in airport car parks; a navigation system that helps emergency vehicles move faster through the city; a car-pooling system to help children get to school; and a digital sign that shows when one-way streets are free and can be used in the opposite direction.
To solve real-life problems for urban mobility, Ford has already drawn on gaming concepts, through the Ford Smart Mobility Game Challenge, and encourages app developers through the ongoing Innovate Mobility Challenge Series.
The D&AD is a non-profit advertising agency. The New Blood Awards are designed to foster inspiration and learning, and offer the chance for young creatives to break into the industry. The awards are the largest of their kind, attracting over 5,000 entries from more than 50 countries.
* http://metrocosm.com/world-population-split-in-half-map/
