THE CAMPAIGN: Since 1998, 919 children have died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle-related fatalities for children 14 and younger—and it’s completely preventable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock” public education campaign seeks to get parents and caregivers to habitually check all seating areas before walking away from a vehicle by increasing awareness of the risks of forgetting or knowingly leaving a child in the car. Most children (52.59%) are forgotten by a caregiver when being taken to childcare/preschool. Whether the child was sleeping, and the parent forgot that the child was in the car, or the parent was distracted or off their normal routine, these tragic moments of forgetfulness can and do happen. THE STRATEGY: To support an expansion of the campaign plan to include streaming video, we wanted to create a digital content video that used emotional appeals to emphasize the deadly consequences of leaving a child alone in a car, focusing on preventative messaging rather than real-life tragic documentary-style stories. Research conducted by NHTSA showed that framing the concept around a busy parent and the child in the back seat was highly relatable to everyday distractions leading to negative consequences and came across as realistic. THE PRODUCTION: “Fleeting Thoughts” is an immersive, simple story that takes you on a ride, all while sitting in a parked car. Our duo director team (Peter & Annie) and production company (Easy Mondays) helped us tell a story with purpose and suspense—and pay it off with a sense of relief—all in 30 seconds. Single-shot camerawork, performance and sound design were all critical elements as well as an overall sensory palette, including reflective sun flares and subtle cues like the father’s rolled-up shirt sleeves, to make us feel the hot car’s interior. The spot leaves parents and caregivers thinking that even if they have fleeting thoughts, they need to always remember: Where’s baby? Look before you lock. The final video was also adapted for Spanish-speaking audiences.