V/Line are committed to improve safety at level crossings and recognised that engineering solutions are not the only answer to the problem; education and enforcement tactics are also required.

In 2012, V/Line engaged us to present concepts to help improve safety at level crossings and remind people of the fines involved with making illegal crossings. With a lot to do, and a small production budget with which to do it, we created a high impact campaign that demanded attention, delivering a no-nonsense message that literally stopped people in their tracks. We took the classic Railway ‘X-ing’ symbol and repurposed it. The very first iteration, ‘Don’t push your X-ing luck’, gave the communication a real edge and lifted it above the typical ‘nanny state’ safety messages.

We were careful not to over-design or overcomplicate the message, and creating such a clear and simple device has meant we’ve had an easily adaptable, scalable concept that has now been used across several targeted campaigns.