TBWA\Dublin’s latest campaign for Transport for Ireland and Invisible Disability Ireland brings an understanding to the underlying needs of commuters requiring Transport for Ireland’s new Please Offer Me a Seat badge. This new badge ensures access to priority seating areas on public transport for those who need it most.
With many disabilities hidden from plain sight, it can be difficult for other commuters to correctly identify passengers who may need a seat more than themselves, or for those who need a seat to ask for it, particularly if the person appears to be younger or able-bodied.
Working closely with members of Invisible Disability Ireland, TBWA\Dublin learnt about the sometimes awkward and challenging conversations these people have when asking for a seat on public transport. The new Please Offer Me a Seat badge removes the perceived need to explain their situation and instead becomes a symbol and opportunity for other commuters to offer up a seat. This forms the core value of the new campaign by TBWA\Dublin.
The collaboration between Transport for Ireland and Invisible Disability Ireland provided an opportunity for TBWA\Dublin to collect real-life stories and experiences from people with invisible disabilities. These in turn became the cornerstones of the campaign’s multifaceted aspects – including OOH, micro-documentary, social, and digital, all of which received a bolt, bright, and multi-layered treatment.
‘We hope this campaign paves the way for people with invisible disabilities to be seen and understood by other commuters on public transport and offered a seat’, Account Director Aoife McCarthy says, adding that ‘after all, public transport is for everyone’. This aim is situated within Transport for Ireland’s staunch commitment to acceptance and openness on public transport, as seen through the annual anti-racism campaign.
This campaign was produced by TBWA\Dublin’s own in-house production company Bolt!, with both stills and film captured by director Matthieu Chardon. The film, rooted again in real stories, uses a combination of experimental film and editing techniques to carefully craft a collage of each participant’s personal journey in their anticipation for the launch of Transport for Ireland’s new card. Art Director Leona Smyth says of the collaboration: ‘With the launch of this campaign, we aim to ease the journeys of people with invisible disabilities and other conditions and bring broader awareness to commuters to be mindful of others.
The new Please Offer Me a Seat badge does all the talking and becomes a symbol of people’s needs. It’s been a wonderfully collaborative campaign and we’re grateful to all who participated and shared their stories with us.’
