Dumb ways to die - Train safety ad.

Wow, that is seriously fucked up.

Okay, but which is your favorite character in the cartoon? I liked the guy with the fountain of blood. My husband pointed out that one of the piranhas jumped off his guy.

I like the guy who sold his kidneys. Those are some serious incisions he’s sporting.

Which one; the poke-a-grizzly-bear guy or the dress-up-like-a-moose guy?

I’m torn, actually. The take-off-your-space-helmet guy, when he comes back for the chorus, is holding his eyes in his hands. That’s hardcore. But there’s also teach-yourself-how-to-fly guy; he’s rocking out with the music while holding his head off of his body. I wanna party with this dude.

I liked toaster guy. He’s a happy skeleton.

I’m torn between Kidney guy (I really like his dance moves) or glue guy because that part cracked me up.

Silly as it is the idea behind this campaign is sound, get something out there that goes viral and this then gives the mouthpieces a reason to be on every talk back radio show and spots on TV talking about train safety.

Well played sir.

The guy who pushes the unknown button reminds me of Marley.

I myself decry these new, hipster public safety ads, in which the finesse and refinement of the production values undermines a life-or-death message with artsy distractions.

We need a return to the repose of the traditional PSA, with compelling, straightforward, no-nonsense presentation.

Go to the Metro website Dumb ways to die. You can play with some of the characters.

Apparently in 1941 Colombia, there were always ten guys hanging around to instantly carry off bodies hit by cars.

Yes, but I don’t think it was ever clear where the bodies were taken.

They harvest the kidneys quickly.

And DWTD has almost 18 million hits. That’s not viral. That’s pandemic!

That guy was actually played by Marely.

They have an arrow pointing at a button, and invite us to push it, but they don’t tell us what it does.

Did anyone push it?

I pushed it.
Give it a try. I dare ya.

This vid was originally linked in another thread that I read about a week ago I think, and the song’s been swirling around in my head since then.

It’s a very cool campaign; but for an Aussie song, why the “poke a stick at a grizzly bear” and “dress up like a moose during hunting season”?

My favourite hooman bean is internet kidney seller. Man, despite his renal insufficiency, can he dance!

I think the grizzly and moose (not to mention rattlesnake) prove that they were kind of aiming at the “going viral” thing right from the start.

Which is kind of interesting, because after all their brief is to reduce fatalities in Melbourne. But if they figure that the best way to do that is to create something that goes viral all over the world, solely for the purpose of reaching those portions of the internet world that happen to be physically located in Melbourne - well, who am I to diss that strategy?

My older daughter got this song played to her at school (Grade 3), apparently. I just found this out because she was singing along when I clicked the link. Not the Smaller Girl though (Grade 1). Perhaps they figured it was a little graphic for 7 year olds, even with the cartoon characters.

Quirky public transport ads are a bit of a thing here, too. I’m personally very fond of Beware the Rhino

Where is the button?