Creative team: Thomas Carr & Derbáil Kinsella This campaign was the Re:act TAFE NSW 2021 Winner. As a result, it was selected to be used as a real campaign ultimately reaching an audience of 1,557,700 through the use of 250 digital billboards across metropolitan and regional NSW. FALSE FOCUS is a road safety campaign targeting 16-24 year old apprentices and young drivers, a group statistically vulnerable to fatigue related crashes. Designed in response to a live brief, the campaign challenges misconceptions around driver tiredness and disrupts harmful behaviours that are often underestimated or ignored. Despite being as dangerous as drink driving, fatigue remains largely unregulated. In NSW alone, driver fatigue is responsible for approximately 67 deaths and 645 serious injuries each year. Research shows that driving after 17 hours awake impairs performance as much as a blood alcohol level of 0.05, yet awareness among young drivers remains low. Through original surveys and interviews with TAFE apprentices, we uncovered key insights: • 76% had knowingly driven fatigued in the last 3 months • Over 50% believed energy drinks could counteract fatigue • Stories of micro-sleeps and near-fatal experiences were alarmingly common The Creative Strategy Our approach mimics the visual language of energy drink advertising, a format our audience already trusts, to subvert expectations and expose the false sense of alertness these drinks promote. The centrepiece of the campaign is the fictional brand “False Focus”, presented with a distinct visual execution: A playful, vibrant poster design channels pop culture, memes, and social media aesthetics. Bursting with colour and energetic typography, it mimics typical beverage branding, but with an ironic twist. The can is shown exploding with crash debris, paired with the line: “Energy in a can won’t save you from a slam.” Call to action: “Don’t risk it. Never drive tired.” The executions direct viewers to falsefocus.com.au, encouraging behaviour change through education and awareness. Design Impact The campaign sparked strong engagement in testing, with positive feedback on its relatability, aesthetic appeal, and memorable messaging. A key insight from feedback led to the inclusion of a clearer call to action, which strengthened the effectiveness of both poster variants. By merging bold design with behavioural insight, FALSE FOCUS transforms public safety messaging into something unexpected, culturally relevant, and action-driven speaking directly to the people most at risk, on their terms.