Driving While Black
The simple act of “Driving While Black” in America can quickly turn into an experience fraught with tension, fear, and the looming threat of violence. Studies consistently reveal that black motorists are more likely to experience aggressive tactics, excessive use of force, and even lethal violence compared to their white counterparts. To bring awareness to this issue, Critical Mass partnered with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to create an experience that allows users to step into the shoes of Black drivers. Debuted at the Detroit Auto Show 2023, CM and GSP unveiled a concept car to highlight the double standards Black people experience. The goal was to spark conversation and promote change across the country.
The centerpiece of the experience was an augmented reality activation that allowed users to explore the prototyped vehicle in a 3D space. At the Detroit Auto Show, this created the illusion that this vehicle was on display along with all the other cars physically at the show. Paired with the experience is a video that is presented as a hype reel, narrating through all the vehicle’s stand-out features. But the underlying message is that these “safety features” such as transparent doors to “eliminate reasonable suspicion” and a steering wheel that “keeps hands visible at all times” are the lengths that Black drivers need to go to in order to feel safe driving in America today.
The campaign won a series of awards including two Anthem Awards in DE&I/Awareness, two Andy Awards in Craft and Idea, three Webby Awards, and four Clios including the Grand in Experience/Activation/Guerilla.
