This recent public service information advert for the British Department for Transport is just too lovely to pass up. The latest THINK! campaign introduces us to some bikers in an unusual way, to remind drivers to think about the person on the bike. With their identities hidden behind safety helmets, it's easy to forget that motorcyclists are people with relationships, jobs and families. In the video their bikes are outfitted with big neon signs spelling out their names and a personal detail. The track from the advert is Steph Altman's If you got to know me.

Motorcyclists are only 1% of motor traffic in the UK, but they account for 19% of all deaths on British roads*. A report** by Dr. David Crundall (University of Nottingham) describes how drivers with a close friend or relative who is a motorcyclist are less likely to have a collision with one. It seems that knowing a motorcyclist makes you more likely to notice them. The positive tone of the advert is a nice breather, and more effective than the scare tactics often used in PSI spots.

* Source: RCGB 2008

** Source: Car Drivers' Skills and Attitudes to Motorcycle Safety: A Review. May 2008. (PDF)

The Making Of video offers a behind the scenes look at how and why the TV advert was made.